


Well That Just Won't Do - Book 4

by themadmage



Series: WTJWD-verse [11]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (Still Heir Potter until he comes of age), (he is now anyways), Asexual Character, Asexual Harry Potter, Asexual Severus Snape, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, But will they succeed? I decided about eight hours ago, Canon-Typical Violence, Crouch jr can't have been t h a t good of an actor, F/M, Genderfluid Blaise Zabini, Genderfluid Character, Ghost Lily Evans Potter, Ghosts, Good Regulus Black, Good Slytherins, Harry Potter is Not a Horcrux, Harry Potter is the Heir to the House of Black, Harry Potter was Raised by Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, Harry is Lord Potter, Heir of Slytherin Harry Potter, Hosting a historically deadly tournament at the school where Harry Potter goes?, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Let Kids Be Kids, Lily faded into the background a bit last year but I plan on giving her a more active role this year, M/M, Mentor Severus Snape, Metamorphmagus Harry Potter, Minor Character Death, No one will try to take advantage of that!, Nonbinary Character, Other, Past Child Abuse, Ravenclaw Hermione Granger, Regulus Black Lives, Seer Luna Lovegood, Semi-Competent Adults, Severus Snape Has a Heart, Sirius Black Free from Azkaban, Slytherin Ginny Weasley, Slytherin Harry Potter, Triwizard Tournament, Weddings, What could Possibly Go Wrong!, but it Will Not be Cedric, how did Dumbledore not notice his friend was an imposter for a whole year?, i have written an outline for this book which is a new experience, it was hiding but Lily found it, more like Lily will kill them with her glare if they don't do their jobs the right way, so it'll be interesting to see how that affects my writing, someone may or may not die in this book, we are going to introduce a little thing called Adult Guidance to this tournament
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-09-27 07:58:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 31,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themadmage/pseuds/themadmage
Summary: After Lily Potter's death, her ghost remains anchored to Harry in order to complete unfinished business - parenting her son, since apparently no one else is going to do it properly. Death has only partly limited Lily's influence, and she will use every scrap she still has to smooth things over for Harry.In Book 4, the Triwizard Tournament comes to Hogwarts. I'm sure that will go without incident.





	1. When Mutts Marry

Harry and Remus returned to Blackwood Hall in a flurry of wedding planning, with only two weeks to go until the big day. Sirius was working with Tippy to plan the day's lunch, dinner, drinks, and hors d'oeuvres, while Regulus was working with Kreacher to deep clean the manor and prepare the grounds. Regulus was staying nearly full time at Blackwood, as Kreacher was only manageable when his preferred master was present. 

Remus and Sirius had fittings for their robes and more meetings than seemed reasonable with the officiant. Harry did his part by handling the correspondence with guests with last minute questions. Each guest's invitation had included a timed portkey for the day of the event, as is standard, and it seemed every non-pureblood who had been invited either didn't realize it was a portkey or lost it. Lily told Harry not to worry the boys about the lost portkeys and taught him how to make a new one, and they both crossed their fingers that no one would show up unexpectedly via one of the extras. 

 

Two days before the solstice was the full moon. Remus' parts of the wedding preparation had been done for about two days so that he could rest as much as possible both before and after the change. Once Remus was relegated to enforced rest, Harry took on the additional duty of keeping Sirius calm and organized. It was an experience, and might have been impossible without his mum there.

"The seating chart. I can't figure it out."

"The seating chart has been done for weeks, Dad."

"The Malfoys and Weasleys are too close together."

Harry, Lily, and Sirius took another look at the chart, and realized that the feuding families were in fact at adjacent tables. Sirius conjured a blank chart and immediately began rewriting it. Lily gave him an odd look.

"Sirius." No response. "Sirius." He continued ignoring her in favor of feverishly writing and scratching out names on his new chart. Lily took another tactic and flew rapidly right through him, causing both to shudder violently. 

"What did you do that for?" Sirius asked angrily as he tried to shake off the violent chill. 

"You weren't listening. You don't need to rewrite the whole chart, Sirius. Just swap the Weasley family's table with another one."

"Oh."

Harry then took over. They decided that putting the auror's table next to the Malfoys was a smart move. It was unlikely that Lucius Malfoy would cause a problem at the wedding, but none present truly trusted him. The presence of the aurors would help keep him in check, and their previous spot on the opposite edge of the room put as much space between them and the Weasleys as the space allowed.

 

The morning of the solstice, Harry ate breakfast alone. Remus and Sirius were fasting from both food and magic before the wedding ceremony in order to be free of any residue that could interfere with their bond, a tradition in old Pureblood families. The two men in question were in the gardens setting up the circle where they would wed. After eating, Harry went to his room and dressed in his new dress robes for the occasion, paying special attention to the morphing of his hair. He then went to the floo room to meet the Blacks as they arrived.

Regulus arrived first, giving Harry a warm greeting. Andromeda's family came through next, and Tonks swept Harry into a hug.

"Watch the hair, watch the hair!"

Harry could see Tonks barely restraining herself from ruffling his hair as he smoothed the wrinkles from his robes. "It's good to see you, cousin."

"Good to see you too," Harry grumbled good-naturedly. 

Narcissa arrived with her son a few minutes later, greeting her family formally. "Lucius sends his apologies, as he is ill." Draco's face took on a pinched look at the mention of his father's illness, Harry noticed. 

"Think nothing of it, Cousin Narcissa," Regulus said smoothly, "and our best wishes for your husband's recovery."

Narcissa nodded, avoiding eye contact with her sister, and the collected Black family gathered at the front lawn of the manor to greet the guests as their portkeys arrived and guide them towards the wedding circle. When Harry's friends arrived, he greeted them slightly less formally with a genuine grin. 

 

The ceremony was beautiful. The weather was perfect - windless with a blue sky. A circle of ivy and burnet was laid in the grass, and the rose garden they stood in was immaculately cared for. Remus and Sirius stood in the center of the circle, an altar between them and a Ministry officiant behind it, barefoot in simple robes made of fine acromantula silk. The guests all took their seats facing the circle, with the family together in the front row, and the officiant began the ceremony. 

On the altar stood a goblet of wine, a white ribbon around it, and both men's wands with the handles facing each other. The officiant presented them with a ceremonial dagger, which they each used to carefully cut their finger and add seven drops of blood to the goblet. They then clasped their hands, and the officiant wrapped the ribbon from the altar tightly around them. Everyone in the garden could feel the magic in the air.

Neither man broke eye contact as the officiant spoke. "We have come together here today in celebration of the joining together of Lord Sirius Orion Black and Remus John Lupin. Theirs will be a marriage of equals, supporting each other on their individual paths through hardship and triumph. Theirs is a union of love. The law of life is love unto all beings. Without love, life is nothing, without love, death has no redemption. Love is anterior to Life, posterior to Death, initial of Creation and the exponent of Earth. If we learn no more in life, let it be this.

"Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs. With full understanding of this, Sirius and Remus have come here today to be joined as one in marriage. Others would ask, at this time, who gives them in marriage, but, as a person is not property to be bought and sold, given and taken, I ask simply if they come of their own will.

"Sirius, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord?"

"Yes, it is true," Sirius replied gravely.

"Remus, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord?"

"Yes, it is true."

"With whose blessings do you come today?"

"With the blessings of those gathered today," Sirius replied.

"With the blessings of our beloved who have passed on," Remus answered in a rough voice. 

"Remember this: like the stars should your love be constant. Like the moon will your love have its strengths and times of faltering, but also like the moon should it always recover. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage, let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly. Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of the unenlightened give you unease, for the power of your love is with you always.

"Sirius, I have not the right to bind you to Remus, as only you have this right. If it is your wish, say so at this time."

"It is my wish."

"Remus, I have not the right to bind you to Sirius, as only you have this right. If it is your wish, say so at this time."

"It is my wish."

"Sirius and Remus, give each other your vows."

Sirius spoke first. "I, Lord Sirius Orion Black, in the name of the Magic that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my heart, take you Remus John Lupin to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my chosen one. To desire you and be desired by you, to possess you, and be possessed by you, without sin or shame for such things cannot exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love you wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change you in any way. I shall respect you, your beliefs, your people, and your ways as I respect myself."

"I, Remus John Lupin, in the name of the Magic that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my heart, take you Lord Sirius Orion Black to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my chosen one. To desire you and be desired by you, to possess you, and be possessed by you, without sin or shame for such things cannot exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love you wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change you in any way. I shall respect you, your beliefs, your people, and your ways as I respect myself."

The officiant then picked up the goblet of wine and handed it to Sirius, who took it in his unbound hand. "May you drink your fill from the cup of love."

Sirius held the cup to Remus' lips, who drank from it before taking it in his own unbound hand and doing the same for Sirius. The officiant then took the goblet and set it back in its place on the altar.

"By the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic and in the name of Magic herself, I now pronounce you wed. May your love so endure that its flame remains a guiding light unto you."

The magic became almost suffocating as Remus and Sirius leaned across the altar to kiss, then converged on their joined hands. The ribbon binding them glowed before disappearing into their skin, leaving behind only an imprint. Lily was the only one who noticed Narcissa rubbing at a similar mark on her own hand while the gathered friends and family applauded the happy couple.

"Your marriage is recognized by Magic. Gathered friends, I now present to you for the first time, Lord Sirius and Remus Black."

 

The ceremony was immediately followed by a meal, the newly wedded couple gratefully breaking their fast. Thanks to the carefully prepared seating arrangement, the meal went by without issue. Once everyone had eaten their fill of the food Tippy and Kreacher prepared, the congregated mages went into Blackwood Hall's ballroom to dance and socialize. 

Harry and Lily had spent the meal at the head table, but now he was free to find his friends while everyone wished Sirius and Remus well. There was an impressively small three feet between the Slytherins and Harry's other friends, with Hermione standing closest to them. She nearly bounced on her feet as Harry approached.

"That was amazing!" She gushed as soon as he was close enough. "Thank you for inviting me, Harry, I was so glad to see a Wizarding wedding! You can see how much Sirius and Professor Lupin, er, Black, love each other. I have so many questions!"

Harry only chuckled at her enthusiasm and gestured for her to continue, knowing she wouldn't have felt comfortable asking her questions to his pureblood friends. "What was the significance of the circle? Why did they add their blood to the goblet? Is it true they didn't use any magic or eat for a full day? How did the professor handle that so soon after the full moon? Do all wizarding weddings go like that? Was it only because they were two men that no one had to be given away?"

"Slow down, Hermione!" Harry finally exclaimed. He shot a dirty look to his mother, who was giggling behind him. "The circle was made of ivy for fidelity and burnet for happiness, and it's traditional for all magical ceremonies and rituals to take place in a circle. Marriage is just the most common magical ceremony these days. Their blood in the goblet added their magical signatures to it to seal the bond, since a mage's blood is the most magical part of them. It is true that they had to fast - it was to prevent contamination of the ritual. It's not strictly necessary, but it is tradition. The solstice makes the moon affect Remus less, but he also had Dad and I taking care of him. And you can call him Remus, Hermione, he won't mind. And there's apparently a lot of different wedding and bonding ceremonies, but this one never involves someone being given away and can be used for people of any gender."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Really?" It was nearly impossible to guess which of Harry's answers she was responding to, but Lily seemed to know.

"It's true. This ceremony is the same one James and I used when we were married. We chose it because I didn't have any family to give me away."

"Oh, that's so lovely! Well- not that you didn't have your family," Hermione corrected awkwardly. "Just that, you know, women and men can be treated equally in marriages."

Hermione looked ready to continue gushing, but the others cut in then and Harry was somewhat thankfully drawn into a conversation about their summer Herbology work. The celebration continued into the night, a mixture of ballroom and dance music playing from the charmed instruments on the bandstand. Harry didn't dance much - he had never learned how - but he had a wonderful time. Dinner was served as a buffet when it was time, several tables available for people to sit while they rested or ate. 

 

When the guests had finally left around midnight, Harry went to bed exhausted but content. 


	2. On Holiday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes on the first chapter:
> 
> The wedding ceremony between Sirius and Remus was based on a pagan wedding ceremony (found here: https://handfastingsandweddings.net/pagan-wedding-ceremony) and on the bonding ceremony between Narcissa and Elvira Zabini in my side story to this series, Love. The chapter title was just me being funny, even though no one has really called Remus and Sirius mutts in quite awhile.

The morning after the wedding, Tippy packed bags for all three of her masters while they ate a light breakfast, and the newly official family left to go on holiday. Bringing Harry along on their honeymoon was a bit unorthodox, but Harry had never been on holiday before and all three adults insisted they fix that travesty. Besides, it wasn't as if the newly married couple hadn't already lived together for years.

Their portkey left for Greece at 9:30, where they had gotten lodgings in a wizarding hotel on Santorini island, famous for its black sand beach. Sirius chuckled at the private joke while Remus rolled his eyes at his husband, but Lily was busy watching her son take the place in with wide eyes. She was lost in her joy at being able to experience something like this with Harry

The local time when they arrived was 11:30, so Tippy took their baggage to their room while the family got lunch. It was strange to be eating so soon after breakfast, but Sirius insisted that regular mealtimes were important while traveling. The rest of the day was then spent going over travel brochures and planning out their stay, which would include both muggle and wizarding attractions. 

The plan was to stay in Greece for nearly a month and return to Blackwood Hall just in time for the full moon. It meant they would miss the Quidditch World Cup being hosted in Britain, but Sirius had promised they could travel to see it in another country just as easily. After all, with portkeys a foreign country may as well be the neighbor's house. 

 

Before long they were exploring the beaches and volcanoes, ancient architecture, going scuba diving, and becoming experts in Greek food. Harry could barely swim, the Dursleys having never seen fit to teach him, so the first few beach days were spent with Sirius going over different strokes and building his strength in the water while Remus carefully monitored them and stayed ready to interfere if the tides tried to sweep his pup away. Harry took to the lessons quickly, and soon the ocean was his favorite place to be.

Remus favored Akrotiri, the ruins of an ancient village. Sirius loved hiking the trails that wound around the various cliffs, beaches, towns, and the active volcano. Often, he transformed into Padfoot for the experience and conned his family into 'walking' him. Lily just loved seeing all of her boys so free.

Luckily, Greece was far enough removed from the UK that Voldemort hadn't ever been an issue, and Lily's and Harry's fame didn't draw so much attention as it still did in Diagon Alley. The family did get a few strange looks for being so close with a ghost, but they couldn't have cared less. Harry dissolved into giggles more than once at the strangeness of their family and how everyone would react if they knew the details - an animagus ex-convict, a werewolf academic, a ghostly war hero, and the Heir to three of Britain's major noble houses who also happens to be the subject of a prophecy. 

When the World Cup came around, the family took a break from exploring the island to listen on the wireless. Harry was enthralled, and extracted a promise from Sirius yet again that they would go see the next one. Bagman's commentating could barely keep up with the chaser play, and only managed to mention the seekers when Krum pulled off his Wronski Feint and broke the Irish seeker's nose, and when the snitch was actually caught. It also didn't help matters that the man kept getting distracted by the Veela who had come with the Bulgarians. 

Remus playfully taunted Sirius when the Irish won despite Krum's catch. The two had been supporting opposite teams, though only casually, since England hadn't made it to the finals. They went to bed in good spirits.

 

Harry shambled into the kitchen the next morning, wiping sleep from his eyes, and saw his dad and Remus sitting at the table with the  _Daily Prophet_. Their faces were white, expressions blank, and Harry's blood ran cold.

"What is it?"

Sirius startled, having not noticed Harry come in. He didn't speak, but pushed the paper to Harry's spot at the table.

_**SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP** _

_by Rita Skeeter_

_Last night's celebrations were interrupted by riots when a group of masked wizards targeted the muggle campground owners in a vicious attack. The family of muggles, who had already been obliviated several times that day, were suspended in midair and tortured, causing panic among the gathered witches and wizards. This panic only intensified when the dreaded Dark Mark was cast above the nearby forest, which many had chosen to escape into._ _A Ministry official announced that no one had been harmed where the mark was cast, but this was not enough to quell the rumors that several bodies were removed from the forest later in the evening._

_Two wizards were arrested in conjunction with the attack on the muggle family, with three more escaping justice. No arrests were made in conjunction with the casting of the Dark Mark._

_What does it mean that this dreaded sign is being seen once again? Could this have simply been a prank played in ill-taste, or is it a sign of darker times to come?_

Harry looked up. "What does it mean that the Dark Mark was cast above the forest? Isn't that the mark that Death Eaters had on their arm?"

"Well, it is," Lily answered. Sirius and Remus had hesitated, but Lily had long had a policy of answering her son's questions when he had them. "But it was also cast in the sky, like the picture with the article, whenever the Death Eaters had killed. It was a lot of people's greatest fear during the war, coming home and finding that mark above their house. You knew if you did that everyone inside would be dead, killed in horrible ways."

Harry looked at each of the adults with wide eyes.

"I imagine that, for anyone who lived through the first war that saw that mark, it was almost like seeing him come back again," Sirius said roughly. 

Harry looked down at the article again, and suddenly it registered in his mind that this had happened at the quidditch match. The quidditch match his friends attended. Suddnely panicked, he asked, "Ron! Hermione! The Weasleys! They all went to the Cup, are they okay?"

Remus immediately cast his patronus, sending it to Arthur Weasley. There were several long moments before a silver weasel materialized in the room. "The family and Hermione are all okay, but it was a long night," it said in Mr. Weasley's voice. Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

 

The rest of that day was spent recovering from the shock, with quiet conversations and meals provided by Tippy. Harry thought back to the prophecy he had learned in his first year, the knowledge of Voldemort's eventual return that had lived in the back of his mind ever since, and wondered if this was the beginning. The thought sent him into a panic attack, the only one he'd had since leaving on holiday. He wasn't nearly ready for Voldemort to start hunting him again - he wasn't even fourteen yet and he certainly wouldn't be able to survive a direct attack from one of the most feared Dark wizards in history. 

Seeing Harry's panic, but not its cause, Lily gently soothed him and reminded him of his breathing while Sirius dug through their luggage for a calming draught. Once Harry had had the potion and stopped shaking, he explained his fear to his family.

"You'll never have to face him alone, baby," Lily said adamantly. He smiled weakly. She hadn't called him baby nearly as much lately, as he was getting too old for the pet name, but it comforted him now.

"Your mum's right," Sirius added. "She and Moony and I, Regulus, Tonks, your teachers, your friends. You don't have to do anything on your own."

Harry nodded, then hugged his dad and Remus tightly, Lily's cold presence just as comforting at his shoulder. He wasn't alone.

 

Slowly, the Black family got back into a holiday mood. They resumed their enjoyment of the island and its many offerings, making the most out of the last few days of their trip. On July 20th, they took a portkey back to Blackwood Hall so that Remus could prepare for the full moon that would come in just two days. Harry couldn't believe that they'd spent nearly an entire moon cycle away, doing nothing but having fun and relaxing, or how exhausted it had left him.

Ten days later, when Harry's birthday was celebrated, he spent the majority of the party regaling his friends with stories of his time abroad. Ron and Hermione also told the group about the World Cup, and how they had actually been accused of casting the Dark Mark and Crouch had freed his elf for picking up Ron's wand. Now that there was some distance between them and the terror of that night, everyone agreed that it was a rather exciting story.

And as these stories were told, Harry was once again reminded that even if the attack at the World cup was the beginning, he wasn't alone. 


	3. A Ritual Redone

It was a normal day in August when Harry took the floo home from Grimmault place. He was later than usual, as Uncle Regulus was looking to make up for the time lost while Harry had gone on holiday with his dad and Remus, and Harry was surprised to find the two men in the sitting room with Professor Snape of all people.

"Er- is everything alright?"

Sirius looked up. The atmosphere in the room was tense, but calm. "Of course it is, kiddo? Why wouldn't it be?"

Harry's eyes flicked to his Head of House, who was certainly not a regular visitor to Blackwood. Harry was fairly certain, in fact, that the wedding was the only time he'd been here. Lily gasped. "Did we forget to tell you? I  _knew_ we'd forgotten something! Severus is here for the ritual."

"Ritual?"

"Severus has been helping to reconfigure the protective ritual I performed on you before I died, to modify it so that it doesn't cause you pain anymore. Well, he's actually been doing most of the work, since he's got more experience with developing spells and rituals and, you know, hands that can hold a quill. I picked up the notes I'd left from the vault in Gringotts when we went there before your second year, do you remember? This has been in progress since then, and we're finally ready to redo the ritual."

"Oh," was Harry's only response. He fingered the amulet Madame Pomfrey had given him in his first year, when they'd first discovered that exposure to Dark magic caused pain in his scar. He'd gotten so used to wearing it that he could almost forget it was there. "Is that really necessary? Not that I don't appreciate all the work you've done," Harry added hastily, "but the amulet prevents the headaches I used to get."

"The amulet you wear filters ambient magic, Mr. Potter," Professor Snape replied, "but you would still react badly to any Dark magic cast on you or that you cast yourself."

"Do I need to cast Dark magic?" Harry asked curiously. He knew that Dark magic wasn't always used for evil, and that his own magic was gray, but he'd never imagined he would be taught Dark magic.

"The Black family's spells, which Reggie has been holding off on teaching you for exactly this reason, are all on the Dark end of the spectrum," Sirius replied, "as are some of the more advanced combat spells you'll learn in your NEWT classes. So, yes, eventually you will need to be able to cast some Dark spells without suffering for it."

"Oh. Alright, then. Thank you for your help, Professor Snape." The professor nodded in acknowledgement. "What do we need to do?"

"We must replicate the circumstances of the original ritual as closely as possible in order to override its unwanted effects. Tonight's moon is in the same phase as the moon on Halloween of 1981, when the original ritual was performed, and Lily has described the night to me in detail. Black will perform the ritual in Lily's place, as he is your blood parent and the closest facsimile. I will oversee the ritual to ensure everything goes smoothly. As the original ritual was performed in your nursery, with you in your crib, this one will be performed in your bedroom under the same circumstances. All you will need to do, Mr. Potter, is allow Black to do his job as you did not take an active role in the ritual as an infant."

Harry nodded, his expression one of deep thought. 

"It was your bedtime when we were attacked, and I finished the ritual while your father held Voldemort off. It was 7 p.m.," Lily added.

Harry glanced at the clock over the mantle. It was 6:30 now. "We'd better get started, then."

 

The group went to Harry's bedroom, where Tippy had moved Harry's bed temporarily to the center of the room. Under the guidance of Professor Snape and Lily, Sirius set up a ritual circle around it. This circle was much more intricate than the ivy and burnet one from the wedding, carved into the floor around the bed with several layers of intricate runes Harry had no hope of understanding. Once the accuracy of the runes was verified, Sirius cast the same protective spells and wards Lily had once woven into her child's nursery. Harry's eyes widened at their intensity. It made sense that his parents had done some impressive magic to protect him as a baby, but he hadn't been able to appreciate it until he saw it again.

"Sit on the bed, Harry, and be as still as you can," Lily prompted. Harry quickly followed her directions, settling on his bed with his legs crossed and getting comfortable. Professor Snape handed Sirius a ceremonial dagger, made from the same materials as the one Lily had used, and Harry suddenly remembered that his scar came from this ritual. 

Sirius stepped into the circle with Harry. Remus and Professor Snape stood on the outside, Lily hovering next to them. While she no longer had her own living magic, the ambient magic of a ghost hadn't been present at the original ritual. Sirius then started a chant, and magic immediately flared within the room. It was familiar, though Harry couldn't begin to place it. Lily placed a hand on Professor Snape's arm, and Harry noticed she seemed more solid than usual. His eyes were drawn back to his dad as the man silently raised the dagger, his eyes misted with tears. Harry flinched slightly as the blade bit into his skin, and Sirius very carefully traced over the original scar. The magic in the room intensified further before fading, sinking into Harry and the ritual circle. As soon as it did, Sirius clung to Remus and the two men cried. Even Professor Snape looked more emotional than the ritual seemed to warrant.

"Is it done?" 

Lily nodded, and gestured Harry towards her. "That was my magic," she said to him softly. "When I cast this ritual, I knew I would die defending you. It was designed to take the last of my magic and put it to work defending you from harm. The chant Sirius used to begin the ritual called it forward again."

Sirius sobbed into Remus' shoulder. "We never expected to feel Lily's magic like that again," Remus explained roughly. "It was a lot to bear."

Harry nodded in understanding, and allowed the men in the room some time to collect themselves before asking, "Did it work?"

"Everything went as it should have," Professor Snape replied. "The cut on your forehead will have to heal naturally. Your scar may be slightly more prominent when it does. Remove your amulet, and we will test if your sensitivity to Dark magic remains."

Harry pulled the amulet from around his neck and set it on the nightstand. He felt almost naked without its weight against his chest. The professor then removed a roll of parchment from his pocket and silently cast the Gemino curse on it. "Nothing," Harry said. "No headache. When Madame Pomfrey did that spell in my first year, I got a splitting headache."

"The ritual has done its job. There is still an alarm component built into the protection, as an early warning can be your best defense in a dire situation, but it has been fine tuned to react only to the Dark Lord instead of Dark magic in general. There is no way of knowing exactly what form the warning will take until it is triggered, but you should experience no pain."

"Thank you, Severus," Lily said emphatically. 

"I shall take my leave."

"You're welcome to stay for dinner," Remus offered. 

The professor shook his head in response. "It is best if I go. I shall see you when term begins, Mr. Potter, Lily." Without saying goodbye to Sirius and Remus the professor swept out of the room in a billow of robes, presumably seeing himself to the floo. 

"Well," Remus said in the tone of someone putting on a brave face, "we ought to eat. I'm sure that was draining for you, Sirius, and it's getting rather late for dinner."

 

The rest of the evening was quiet, and everyone seemed to silently agree to make it an early night. Harry held a whispered conversation with his mother in his bedroom, feeling her loss more significantly than usual after the ritual. He imagined it was only more intense for the people who had gotten to know her in life. They were still talking when Harry drifted off to sleep, Lily's cool hand brushing against his freshly cut forehead.

_"There is still a little more in the bottle, my Lord, if you are hungry," came a smooth, aristocratic voice from behind a high-backed chair._

_"Later," responded a second voice - high pitched and cold. "Move me closer to the fire, Lucius."_

_"Yes, my Lord," replied the original voice. Lucius Malfoy stood from the chair and moved what appeared to be a bundle of blankets to a chair by the hearth._

_"Where is Nagini?" the cold voice asked._

_"Hunting, my Lord."_

_"You will milk her before we retire, Lucius. I will need feeding in the night."_

_"Yes, my Lord. Anything for you."_

_"Soon our plans will be put into motion, Lucius. My other faithful servant is getting into position, and I will have Harry Potter and regain my strength. You will be rewarded for nursing me while I am weakened."_

Harry woke with a start, his scar tingling sharply. It didn't hurt like it once had, but it was certainly active. "Dreams," Harry gasped to his mum. "I had a dream, about Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy."

"Summon Tippy, have her wake Sirius and Remus. They'll need to know about this."

Harry knew not to argue with his mum when she used that tone of voice, and soon his whole family was in his bedroom for the second time that day. Harry described the dream in as much detail as he could, but it was already fading from his mind. Sirius cursed that they didn't know more about the plans Voldemort mentioned, but reassured Harry that whatever it was they would handle it. He went back to sleep under the influence of a mild dose of potion, too keyed up to sleep naturally. 

"We'll face it together, baby," Lily whispered to him. "You're not alone."


	4. Happening at Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may notice I'm messing with the canon timeline a bit more this year than others. For example, the World Cup canonically happens about two weeks before everyone goes back to Hogwarts and I moved it up to July so that it would take place while the Black family was still on holiday. I have plans for how this year should go, and I'm taking a bit more creative license with the events from canon in order to make it happen. So just know it's intentional. I have the book open while I'm writing, so I am aware when I change or skip things. <3

After the ritual, Harry's summer went on. Uncle Regulus began teaching him the Black family magic right away, and Harry picked up the combat spells as easily as he had anything in Defense. Regulus also tested Harry's occlumency at random intervals while they worked, to make sure he didn't let that skill fall by the wayside now that he wasn't under constant threat from dementors. 

Harry also continued studying the Potter family history with Lord Macmillian, though their meetings had been reduced to once each week to give Harry time to study the more secret aspects of the Potter family on his own, with Sirius helping him with the family spells that James had taught him years ago. Harry also made a list of things to discuss with the portrait of Salazar Slytherin that hung in his common room when he returned to school. 

 

Harry reunited gladly with his friends on the train to school. They'd barely had time to write since his birthday while Harry was spending so much time at Grimmauld place. Blaise noticed the missing amulet almost immediately, and Harry explained the ritual he'd undergone to them. They spent the rest of the ride catching up on their summer adventures and discussing the event that was rumored to be taking place at Hogwarts this year. There was certainly some substance to them, since their school supplies had never included dress robes before.

 

Everyone was soaked from the pouring rain when they got into the school, and it didn't help matters when Peeves decided to pelt everyone with water balloons. After Professor McGonagall had chased the poltergeist away, Daphne pulled out her wand and dried herself and her friends with a specialized drying charm meant to prevent a person's hair from becoming frizzy. With pestering from Blaise, she promised to teach it to her friends later. 

The feast and the sorting went normally, but everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting for Dumbledore to make an announcement about the rumors. Harry glanced over at the Ravenclaw table while they ate and noticed Hermione seemed unusually agitated about something she was discussing with her housemates. Finally, after what seemed like an unusually long time, the food cleared away and the headmaster stood.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at the students. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched, as though he knew none of the students would care to check before making life difficult for the caretaker.

He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" Harry gasped. He looked around at his fellow members of the Quidditch team. Malfoy had gripped the edge of the table harshly, and Higgs looked furious. He'd expected to be captain this year, and it was his seventh year. He'd be graduating without the opportunity, now. 

Dumbledore continued, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -" But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall slammed open loudly.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, wearing a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step, and Harry noticed he had a peg leg. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. His face, more visible now that he was seated, was unlike any Harry had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, a large chunk of the nose was missing, and the eyes were completely unsettling. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

"That's Mad-Eye Moody," Theo whispered to his friends while the man greeted the headmaster and helped himself to some sausages. Harry noted that he cast some charm over his plate before he began eating, and drank from a flask on his hip rather than the goblet of pumpkin juice set on the table. "My father hates him. He used to be an auror, an especially competent one, and made the arrests for most of the high profile prisoners in Azkaban. He's also extremely paranoid, apparently."

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence that dominated the Great Hall. "Professor Moody."

Dumbledore and Hagrid were the only ones to applaud, the rest of the hall too distracted by the man's appearance and behavior, and they quickly stopped in the awkward silence. Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're _joking_!" said Fred Weasley loudly. The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke, and nearly everyone laughed, including the headmaster.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar." Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. "Er - but maybe this is not the time, no," said Dumbledore, "Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament. Well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"Death toll? That bodes well," Harry muttered under his breath. Lily gave him a sharp look. 

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money." At every House table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. Harry himself wanted no part in this tournament.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This," Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made protests, "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His eyes twinkled knowingly as they flickered over the Weasley twins. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" 

 

The tournament was all anyone would talk about for weeks. Harry was thoroughly sick of it.

"I think I'd like to enter, if I were old enough," Daphne said out of the blue one day, as if it were a continuation of a previous conversation.

Blaise looked up. "Yeah? You didn't seem so sure before."  _Apparently it is_ , Harry thought as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm tired of people doubting me because I'm a girl," Daphne explained. "If I won the tournament, they'd have to admit I'm capable."

"Who's doubting you?" Harry asked sharply because even if he didn't care about the tournament, he cared about his friend. Daphne only waved his concerns away and the conversation stayed focused on the tournament. Harry didn't bother to contribute - his friends knew his opinion on the matter. The tournament had nothing to offer him that he didn't already have and he'd had enough near death experiences already, thank you very much. Instead, Harry went for walks around the castle with his mum.

 

On one of these walks during the first weekend of term, Harry was wandering along the edge of the Forbidden Forest when he saw a girl petting a thestral. He was about to keep walking when he noticed something odd - she wasn't wearing any shoes. It was  _September_ in  _Scotland_ and she was outdoors barefoot. Intrigued and concerned, Harry approached the girl.

"Hello," he says at first. He isn't sure how to ask about her shoes, but he's pretty sure it would be rude to do it without greeting her first.

"Hello, Harry Potter," the girl replies. She's smiling absently, but doesn't look away from the thestral she's petting. Harry startles a bit. He's behind her. He knows he's fairly well-known, but he's never spoken to this girl before and he doesn't think she'd recognize his voice.

"Er- you could just call me Harry. And how did you know it was me?"

"Your mother carries the highest concentration of greskies of anyone at Hogwarts. You're very lucky, you know. They're attracted to love."

"Oh." Harry looked to his mum, but she only shrugged. Still, if these greskies had alerted the girl to Harry's identity there must be some substance to them. "Er- I don't know your name."

The girl turned to look at him, finally. "Luna Lovegood. My housemates call me Loony, though."

"Do you want to be called Loony?"

"No. Those girls have a lot of nargles and blibbering humdingers about them. You can call me Luna."

Harry decided to assume that the things she was mentioning were similar to greskies. "It's nice to meet you, Luna. Aren't your feet cold?"

"Oh, yes. But the blibbering humdingers in my dorm room seem to have taken my shoes, or influenced the other girls to take them. They'll turn up in a few weeks, they always do. The thestrals would get lonely if I didn't visit, though."

"Your shoes go missing often?" Luna only nodded, one hand still resting on the skeletal horse's neck beside her. Harry sat down on the ground and pulled off his own shoes, keeping his socks, and handed them to her. Luna tilted her head questioningly. "You might get sick or something, out here barefoot. You can put my shoes on for now."

"That's very kind of you, Harry," Luna said with a gentle smile. She took the shoes and stepped into them easily, as they were at least two sizes too large for her. 

Harry reached out to the thestral Luna was stroking, allowing it to smell his hand before brushing his fingers against its skin. "Will you tell me more about blubbering humdingers?"

Luna's smile brightened. "Blibbering, but you were close." Luna chatted to Harry about the creatures that inspired people to play mean jokes on others, then went on to describe how nargles were attracted to the dishonest and wrackspurts flew into your ears and made your brain lose focus. Harry got the impression that she didn't get to talk about these things often, but he was happy to listen. He was happy to talk about anything that wasn't the Triwizard Tournament, lately. Luna and Harry were so deep into their conversation that they almost didn't notice when it was time for dinner.

In the entry hall to the school, Luna returned Harry's shoes. He tried to tell her to keep them, but she pointed out that then the blibbering humdingers would only take his shoes as well and they would both be without. Reluctantly, Harry took the shoes back and he went to the Slytherin table to eat feeling like he'd made a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of Dumbledore's speech is taken directly from J. K. Rowling.
> 
> Also... introducing Luna Lovegood, the child of my heart! I love her! I really hope I do her justice because she is my favorite character in this series.


	5. Mad-Eye Moody

The Slytherins had mixed opinions about their new professor in the lead up to their first Defense class. For Harry, the man's paranoia was nearly contagious and being near him made Harry anxious. Malfoy and his friends seemed to hate him on principle, likely because of their parents' opinions of him. Theo and Blaise were wary - the man didn't like their parents, but they could understand why. Those two just hoped that the ex-auror didn't have a habit of projecting his opinions onto people's children. Only Daphne was unconcerned, as her family was neutral and had never drawn Moody's ire. 

On their way to classes on Monday Malfoy made the stupid decision to try to hex Ron in the back after the redhead tried to walk away from an argument, and got transfigured into a snow-white ferret. Moody berated Malfoy, throwing him about with his wand, while a crowd gathered to watch in either horror or glee. "That's not right," Harry mumbled. "Malfoy can be a git sometimes, but he could get hurt like this." Harry and Lily, however, were too far away from Moody to try to do anything about it. Professor McGonagall was eventually the one to come to the rescue.

"What are you doing, Moody?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Teaching," was his gruff reply as he continued to bounce Malfoy against the stones. 

McGonagall spluttered. "Is that a  _student_?"

"Might be."

McGonagall drew her wand, and immediately restored a very embarrassed Draco Malfoy to his human form before laying into Moody about proper forms of punishment at Hogwarts. The show over, the rest of the students made their way to classes. 

"Moody was always a bit odd," Lily said, "but if that's how he's going to react to a schoolyard dispute then he shouldn't be teaching. I do hope Professor McGonagall sorts him out..."

 

Despite several students' - apparently not unfounded - concerns about Professor Moody, their first Defense lesson was highly anticipated. Rumors about the quality of his lessons were about the only thing that could break through the never-ending talk of the Triwizard Tournament. Moody limped into the classroom on his wooden leg five minutes late. "You can put those books away, you won't be needing them."

A ripple of interest went through the room - no books meant a practical lesson, which was usually interesting. After taking role, the professor leaned against his desk. Instead of looking relaxed, however, he looked ready to spring into action at a moment's notice, as if sitting down would have made him too vulnerable. "I've got notes from Professor Lupin on what you've all covered, and while you have a solid grounding in Dark creatures you are very behind on dealing with curses. So, who can tell me what the worst curses out there are called?" His non-magical eye settled on Ron. "You there, you're Arthur Weasley's kid? He got me out of a tight spot the other day. What do you know?"

"Er- the Unforgivables?"

"That's right. The use of any of the Unforgivable curses on another human being can send you straight to Azkaban, one way. Can anyone name one of them?"

Malfoy raised his hand. "The imperius curse," he stated confidently. 

Moody gave him a discerning look. "Malfoy? You'd know all about that one, eh?" Malfoy did not respond, and Moody didn't wait for him to. Instead, he removed a jar of large spiders from his desk. Ron Weasley whimpered from the Gryffindor side of the room. He removed one from the jar and placed it on the bare desktop before enlarging it.  _"Imperio."_

The spider stood up on its rear two legs and began to cartwheel before dancing a jig. Everyone but Ron and Lily laughed. "Think that's funny, eh? What should I have it do next? Throw itself down someone's throat? Drown itself?" Moody placed the spider on the edge of a water glass to demonstrate the possibility, and the room sobered. "The imperius curse give the caster total control. It can be beaten, but it takes a strong will and knowledge of your own mind to do it. Best to avoid being hit. CONSTANT VIGILANCE. Who knows another one?"

Neville raised his hand. "The- the cruciatus curse." His voice was small, but distinct. Harry knew from his mum's inquiries that Neville's parents had been tortured by that curse until they lost their minds, and Harry was quietly impressed by the boy's willingness to bring up the topic - even tangentially - in class.

"Your name's Longbottom?" Moody asked, but after receiving Neville's nod he didn't comment further.  _"Crucio."_

The enlarged spider fell onto its back, legs curling into its body. If it weren't twitching violently, Harry would have thought it was dead. As it was, anyone could tell it was in extreme pain. After ending the curse, Moody put the spider back in the jar. "Cruciatus curse is a better torture device than any knife or tool, used to be real popular among Death Eaters. This may seem harsh, but you've got to know what's out there so you can practice CONSTANT. VIGILANCE. Some people would say you're not ready, but I think more highly of you and Dumbledore agrees with me. Who knows the last one?"

Harry raised his hand. "The killing curse."

"Right. No need to ask who you are." Moody removed the spider from the jar again, and cast  _"Avada Kedavra."_

The spider looked like a marionette whose strings had been cut, died without any visible injury. "Instant death. Can't be shielded against, and there's no counter or time to get help. Muggles can't determine cause of death with the killing curse, as there isn't one." 

Harry's eyes were still locked on the spider as Moody began lecturing on the nature of the Unforgivable curses. ("You've got to mean it.") Both of his parents had died to that curse. His mum had cast it once, he remembered the story she'd told Blaise in second year. He wondered if it hurt.

 

When class ended, Harry was still lost in thought. Lily, however, was livid. "He practically taught you all how to use them! Everyone in that class knows the incantations, the wand movements, the theory behind the curses! Any one of you could decide right now you wanted to practice them and you'd have everything you needed! Harry," his head snapped up at the sound of his name, "we are going to see the headmaster  _now_."

Professor McGonagall happened upon them ten minutes later, Harry standing awkwardly by while his mum screamed various sweets at the gargoyle. She recognized a woman on a mission and didn't try to stop the mother and son from following her up the stairs. 

"ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE," Lily shouted as soon as the door was open. Harry was reminded of the last time his mother had used all five of the headmaster's names. It had been the beginning of his first year, right before she laid the blame on him for Harry's terrible decade with the Dursleys. The man in question clearly recalled the experience just as clearly, as he immediately went pale. "DID YOU OR DID YOU NOT GIVE MOODY PERMISSION TO DEMONSTRATE THE UNFORGIVABLE CURSES TO THE FOURTH YEARS?"

" _What?"_ McGonagall asked incredulously. 

Lily irately explained the lesson and its level of detail. "I'm not saying any of those kids  _will_ teach themselves illegal curses, but they  _could_. Teenagers make stupid decisions sometimes, and some people go down the wrong path, and there is no way to undo that lesson now that it has been taught." Her volume climbed steadily as she spoke. "What do you have to say for yourself, Albus?"

"I assure you, Lily, I had no idea. Alastor asked for permission to teach the students about more advanced curses, but at no point did either of us mention the unforgivables."

Lily took a deep breath, despite not needing to breathe, as she visibly forced herself to calm down. Professor McGonagall took the opportunity to say her piece. "That is the second time he has stepped out of line today, Albus. I was coming to report to you that this morning he forcibly transfigured Draco Malfoy into a ferret and threw him about the corridor as punishment."

The headmaster rubbed his temples, looking exhausted. "I will speak to him about both issues immediately, and see that his behavior changes. Is there anything else?"

Lily and Professor McGonagall both answered in the negative, though Lily didn't look entirely satisfied with the amount of shouting she'd done, and the guests in the headmaster's office took their leave.


	6. Choosing of the Champions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh. I noticed something while I was looking through GoF to write this chapter. Before the champions are chosen, while Harry and Ron are doing their Divination homework, Ron suggests to Harry that he'll be "stabbed in the back by someone [he] thought was a friend" on Tuesday. I've never put it together before, but that's right after the champions are chosen. Ron's prediction for Harry comes true when Ron turns his back on him. I love foreshadowing.

The arrival of the delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang reignited the triwizard mania that had only really died down a couple of weeks previously. Harry spent most of Halloween with Luna. Either she cared as little about the tournament as he did or she understood that he didn't want to discuss it, because the topic hadn't come up once in the time he spent with her. She was also a strangely comforting presence on the anniversary of his parents' deaths. She didn't do or say anything that should be particularly comforting, but maybe it was her utter normality (normal for Luna, which Harry found delightfully odd) in the situation that Harry liked. Sirius and Remus got Harry excused from afternoon classes that day to visit his parents' graves, so he was only just returning to school when the Halloween feast began.

When the Headmaster announced that the goblet was nearly ready to make its decision, Harry instinctively tuned him out. Because of this, it wasn't until Blaise nudged him (hard) in the ribs that he noticed everyone in the Great Hall was staring at him. He looked to his mum, who was visibly stricken. "Mr. Potter, if you would please join the other three champions in the antechamber?"

"Other three- what?"

"Your name came out of the Goblet of Fire as a fourth champion," Theo hissed. " _Go._ "

At the risk of feeling another sharp elbow Harry got up and quickly made his way to the antechamber that the headmaster had indicated, wishing he could sink into the floor under the weight of everyone's eyes. He slipped inside and saw Cedric Diggory, Viktor Krum, and a pretty witch in blue robes whose name he hadn't learned along with their school Heads - Madame Maxime and Professor Janda, Harry recalled from the previous day. 

"What is it?" the French witch asked. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

Harry shook his head silently, unable to get the words out to explain, and Lily looked to the ceiling as though praying for patience. Before long, the other judges came into the chamber and saved Harry any further questions. 

"Extraordinary!" Bagman proclaimed. "Absolutely extraordinary! Ladies and Gentlemen, I present - incredibly - the fourth Triwizard champion!" 

Suddenly the curious looks the others had been giving Harry turned hostile. "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman," the French champion responded after a moment with a toss of her long, silvery hair. 

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. "E cannot compete. 'E is too young." "Well. . . it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Harry. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name's come out of the goblet-"

"I've got to compete, haven't I?" Harry interrupted dully. The others gave him surprised looks, as though in arguing about him they'd forgotten his presence. "It's a magically binding contract. It doesn't matter that I didn't enter my own name, the contract still exists."

"Indeed, it's in the rules and everything."

Headmaster Dumbledore entered just then, followed by Crouch, Snape, and Moody. "What is ze meaning of zis, Dumblydorr?" Maxime asked imperiously. 

"I quite agree with the question," added Janda. "It's rather unjust that Hogwarts should have an extra champion."

The two foreign heads continued to make derisive comments about Harry, and Lily's jaw clenched. Dumbledore turned to her, a raised hand silencing the others in the room. "Lily, did-"

"You could ask him, Albus. My son is right here, and fully capable of speaking for himself."

"Very well. Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"

"No," Harry said with a defeated sigh. "And I didn't ask anyone else to do it, either. You can ask any of my friends or teammates, I've had no interest in this stupid tournament since it was announced."

"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime. Professor Snape and Lily both stiffened.

"I nearly died at least twice last year," Harry replied. "I was rather hoping not to do it again this year."

That shut the nay-sayers up for the moment, and the two Ministry officials discussed the magical contract that Harry had been entered into and whether he would have to compete. Harry didn't contribute, since he'd already mentioned the contract before they came in. The other heads then tried to insist they each get a second champion, and were shot down. 

"This is all rather convenient," Moody growled from where he stood with his back to the wall. "Potter's got to compete, or lose his magic, in a deadly tournament designed for students three years his senior."

"A chance many would die for!" The French champion insisted.

"Maybe whoever put his name in that goblet is hoping Potter will die for it." This comment sparked another argument, but Harry was fairly certain Moody was right. What other reason would there be for someone to enter him without his consent? His fingers itched for the calming draught in his pocket, but for the moment he contented himself by leaning into the chill his mother produced.

When the argument finally died down with no solution but for Harry to compete, the first task was "explained" by Crouch. "The first task is designed to test your daring," he told Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard. Very important.

"The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

Mr. Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore. "I think that's all, is it, Albus?"

"Zat is certainly not all!" Madame Maxime insisted. "Zis boy 'as an advantage! None of ze ozzer contestants will enter the task with an adult present!" 

"Yes, that does pose a difficulty," Dumbledore agreed politely. "One that will certainly require research to overcome. We will come to an agreement on appropriate arrangements well before the first task, but there is no need to hold everyone here while we do."

"Harry, Cedric, I suggest you go along to bed," said Dumbledore once the guests had left the room. I am sure Slytherin and Hufflepuff are waiting to celebrate with you and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise."

Harry was certain Dumbledore had no idea what he was talking about, for multiple reasons. For one, it was tradition in Slytherin house to quietly honor deceased loved ones on Halloween night. Two, Harry would be more likely to face an interrogation than a party. And finally, 'mess and noise' were not words that Harry would use to describe anything in Slytherin, even a party. 

Lily, also, apparently had other ideas. "Diggory can go to bed, Headmaster, but someone is trying to kill my son and you will  _not_ sweep this under the rug! We are going with you to your office, and you are going to contact Sirius - Harry's  _parent_ \- and begin an investigation into who put his name in that cup!"

"It is quite late, Lily, surely this could wait?"

Lily only answered with a dangerous glare, and the headmaster sighed. Harry took the calming draught on the way to the office, now that he was away from prying eyes.

 

In Dumbledore's office, Bagman was waiting to celebrate. "We will have to postpone that drink, Ludo. The non-consensual entering of an underage student into the Triwizard Tournament is a serious issue that needs to be addressed immediately." Dumbledore sounded as if he were reciting a script, though Lily hadn't given him the words to say, and Bagman started to protest before she glared him into submission as well. Within ten minutes, Sirius was in the Headmaster's office with Remus and the Black family's solicitor. Harry was impressed with how quickly he had to have contacted the man. 

Both Sirius and Remus immediately pulled Harry into a hug, fussing over him as if he'd been injured. "How did this happen, Albus?" Sirius asked dangerously.

"I do not know, though there will be an investigation."

"Entering another person into a contract without their consent is illegal," the solicitor volunteered, "but still binding. When the perpetrator is discovered, they will face charges." 

"I agree completely," Dumbledore said calmly.

"Was there any sort of monitoring around the Goblet?" Sirius asked. "Do we know who went up to it?"

"Alas, the only ward was the age line. The ages of each person to pass have been recorded, but nothing of their identities." The headmaster paused to produce a parchment and look it over. "Everyone who passed over the line was seventeen or eighteen years old save one, who was twenty-eight. I believe that is the most likely culprit."

"Who in the school is twenty-eight?"

"To my knowledge, no one," the headmaster replied. "Professor Snape is by far the youngest member of staff at thirty-four, and all of the students and delegates are eighteen and under. Likewise, the Ministry officials who came for the tournament are in their fifties."

"So you mean to tell us," Lily said, her voice eerily calm, "that someone  _broke into the school_ to enter my son into this travesty?"

"The wards have not been breached."

"You're talking in circles, Albus, and we don't have the patience for it," Sirius said. "You have the information we need, so get it out."

"No one who is known to be in the school is the correct age to be our culprit, and no one crossed the wards unauthorized while the Goblet was active, so I can only conclude that someone is not who they are supposed to be. We have an impostor on our hands. The ideal choice for someone to impersonate would be one of the foreign students, as there are fewer people here who know them. Further investigation will be necessary, of course, to confirm this."

"If the investigation does not begin immediately, I'm sure we can find grounds for negligence charges," the solicitor said placidly. 

"I assure you that won't be necessary," Dumbledore hurried to answer. "The investigation will begin in the morning, and I will use every resource at my disposal."

That seemed to be the end of that discussion. Harry turned to the adults on his side of the desk. "What am I going to do? I'm fourteen, I'm not ready for this kind of thing!"

"I'll train you, of course," Sirius said as if it were already decided. And to him, it likely was.

"That may not be possible, Sirius," the headmaster began. Lily cut him off.

"The rules stated were that Harry could not receive help from any of his professors. It said nothing about parents. Sirius has every right to train Harry for the tournament, and my son is in enough danger without you trying to put a stop to it."

The headmaster closed his mouth and nodded. As angry as she was with him tonight, he seemed to think silence was the safest option. 

 

Back in the common room, most of the students had gone to bed. Only Harry's friends and a few seventh years - including Warrington, who had entered his own name into the Goblet - remained in the common room. They respectfully allowed him time to light a candle for his father and sit with his mum before questioning him. 

"Harry, I've got to ask," Daphne said, "just to be sure, but I swear I'll only ask once. Did you do it?"

" _No_ ," Harry said vehemently. Daphne searched his face for a moment before nodding and pulling him into a hug. "Who did?"

"We don't know yet," Harry mumbled into her shoulder. "Someone who's twenty-eight years old and not supposed to be in the school. Moody suggested they want me dead."

Daphne's hold on Harry tightened. "Well they'll be in for a surprise, won't they? You're the strongest person I know, and a great student. You'll survive this, Harry."

Harry's other friends nodded their agreement, and the confidence bolstered him some. He told them about Sirius' plans to train him, yet another thing in his busy schedule but certainly a necessary one, and they retired for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some dialog is once again taken directly from GoF. No need to reinvent the wheel when I can just put it on a new cart.


	7. Reacting

Most of the school didn't have as much faith in Harry as Daphne did. "How'd you do it?" was the question of the day on the first of November, and the askers tended to scowl at Harry angrily when he told them he didn't. Those who weren't asking were glaring him down in the hallways - especially the Hufflepuffs, which reminded Harry terribly of his second year.

 

The worst was Ron. 

"You  _knew_ how much I wanted to enter the tournament!" he had shouted at Harry at breakfast. "How could you enter and not tell me how? I should have known better than to think a Slytherin could ever make a good friend." Harry was so surprised that he didn't even respond before the redhead stormed off. Neville was left standing awkwardly with Harry. 

"I don't really care if you entered or not-"

"Not."

"Okay, but I do have to share a room with Ron, and..."

"Don't make things harder on yourself than they have to be, Neville," 

The Gryffindor nodded, and hesitated slightly before going to his house table. Harry really didn't resent Neville - as a Slytherin he understood practicality quite well. Besides that, he and Neville were not particularly close. They spoke when they crossed paths, and sent each other birthday wishes, but otherwise didn't seek each other out or keep in touch over the holidays very often. Ron, though. Ron he'd been writing to regularly since first year. He'd been the first person in the wizarding world that Harry had truly gotten on with. His accusations stung.

The headmaster announced the investigation into the matter at breakfast, but no one seemed to take that into account as they continued to question 

 

Luna, as usual, didn't bring up the tournament at all when he saw her. Rather than appreciating it this time, it made him tense. After half an hour of completely typical conversation, Harry blurted out, "Aren't you going to ask about me being a champion?"

Luna looked at him with her head tilted to the side, not seeming upset at the fact that he'd interrupted her. "Are we able to talk about that, now?

"Er- what do you mean?"

"You didn't want to talk about the tournament, so I never did. Have you changed your mind?"

"No, not really, but I'd like to know what you think, I guess."

"I think it's terrible that you've been entered and can't get out of it. The collection of bynrams that flocked to you when your name was announced was quite impressive."

Harry knew from previous conversations with Luna that bynrams were creatures which fed on a person's fear or shock. He grinned. "You're a wonderful friend, Luna."

"Are we friends?" she asked, seeming genuinely curious.

"Of course we're friends, Luna, we've been hanging out for two months now. If you want to be, that is,"

Luna smiled brightly at him. "I'd like to have a friend - especially you, Harry."

Harry was surprised by her wording but didn't let it show and turned the conversation back to the salamanders the third years were studying in Care of Magical Creatures, Luna's favorite class. 

 

When Harry and Luna parted ways, he sought out Hermione. He found her in the library, of course. "Oh, Harry, there you are!" she said urgently once he was close enough to whisper. "I looked for you earlier, but I couldn't find you."

"I was out by the lake. Look-"

"You didn't enter the tournament, did you, Harry?" Hermione asked before he could finish his sentence.

"No," he said automatically.

"Oh good, that would have been rather stupid of you. I didn't  _think_ you would, of course, but I didn't want to start correcting people until I knew for sure."

"Well, that's good," Harry said oddly. He hadn't even been thinking about Hermione's reaction to the announcement because he'd been so distracted. "That's not actually why I was looking for you, though. Do you know Luna Lovegood? She's in your house, the year below us."

"Everyone knows Loony," Hermione said dismissively, looking back at the ancient runes essay she'd been writing. 

"Don't call her that," Harry said. "She doesn't like it."

Hermione looked back up at him then. "You say that like she's told you."

"She has, the first day we met. She's a friend of mine. I wanted to ask you if she really doesn't have any friends in Ravenclaw."

"No, she doesn't. I'm surprised you're friends with her, really. She's very odd, isn't she? Always going about without shoes, talking about things that don't exist."

Harry's expression darkened. "Her shoes get stolen, and the things she talks about do exist."

"Really, Harry, I thought you were smart. No one else has ever heard of a noogle, and she's always out on the grounds petting and talking to thin air."

"It's a nargle, and she's petting the thestrals." Hermione looked at him, unimpressed. "I can see the thestrals, too. I can't see any of the other creatures she talks about, but I've seen evidence of them." 

When Hermione scoffed at him, Harry stood up and strode over to the Magical Creatures section of the library. He found a copy of  _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ and brought it back to Hermione's table. He found the page on thestrals and set it directly on top of the essay Hermione had returned once again to writing. 

Hermione scowled for a moment before her eyes widened as she rapidly read the text in front of her. She looked up at him when she'd finished. "I really thought they were imaginary. But you can't tell me all of the other creatures she goes on about are in here."

"No, they aren't. I looked when she first started to tell me about them. But she was able to identify me without looking at me because of the greskies that surround my mum, and she knew I didn't enter myself into the tournament because of the bynrams. The blibbering humdingers and nargles indicate people she should avoid because they'll make fun of her or take her things. I can't find any information on these creatures, but the things they tell her are true. She sees  _something_ real."

Hermione looked troubled, and glanced back at the page on thestrals. 

"Look," Harry said with a sigh, "I just wanted to know if it was true that I was her only friend. I'm disappointed that you called her that name and didn't give her a chance, Hermione. I'm going to go."

 

"I'm proud of you for standing up for Luna," Lily said once they were in the corridor. 

"Luna is my friend, and Hermione was wrong. It was the right thing to do."

"Still, I get the impression that not many people have done that, and you've known Hermione longer. It can be difficult to stand up to someone you consider a friend."

"I remember what it's like to be alone. Luna is wonderful, she doesn't deserve it."

"Neither did you," Lily said matter-of-factly. "And I'm still proud of you."


	8. The Imperius Curse

Professor Moody's lessons had become less intense since Dumbledore had found out about the lesson on the Unforgivable curses, but the gleam in his eye during the first lesson after Halloween didn't bode well for the longevity of his teaching career. The headmaster was distracted, investigating the issue of an impostor and researching how to keep Lily from interfering with the tasks, and couldn't keep such a close eye on his defense professor.

The entire class was surprised to hear that Moody planned to put each of them under the imperius curse so that they could see what it felt like and attempt to resist it. No one protested about the illegality of this, but Harry and several others were thinking it. Lily was horrified at the idea of someone doing that to her son, even in a controlled environment. She had had practice resisting the curse during the war but she had been an adult, giving informed consent at a time that being controlled by the imperius curse was an immediate concern. The situation had been entirely different.

 

Moody called the students up to the front of the room one by one and put each of them under the curse. Each student performed a series of embarrassing or complex actions, unable to resist the curse at all. In a different situation their classmates' behavior might have been funny or impressive, but with the knowledge that it would be their turn soon no one was laughing. 

It was near the end of the period when Harry was called up, and Moody cast the imperius curse on him without preamble. It felt a bit like the one time Harry had accidentally taken too much calming draught, like he was floating and nothing could be wrong. The feeling was so pleasant that when he heard a voice in his head say " _ Jump up on the desk _ ," he almost didn't notice it. It seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do, to follow the directions. Harry had been practicing occlumency for a year at this point, but the aura of despair that accompanied a dementor or the discomfort of a legilimency attack felt much more unpleasant than this. He realized the foreignness of the voice telling him to jump just as he was about to do it, and slammed up his occlumency shields. The feeling of floating lessened, but didn't go away entirely.  _ "Jump on the desk, _ " the voice said again, and Harry focused even more on clearing his mind. When the feeling was gone, he looked up at his professor's face. "No, sir, I don't think I will."

Moody was obviously impressed. "That's how it's done! The rest of you pay attention, you've got to fight it!" 

Harry was glad the professor didn't ask how he'd done it so easily. He didn't want the rest of the class to know he was an occlumens, since it was a fairly rare skill and benefited him more kept secret. 

 

At the end of class, Harry turned to his mum. "Headmaster's office?" he asked.

Lily nodded. Harry was surprised to see she didn't look angry, but deeply troubled. 

The password hadn't changed since Halloween, so Harry and Lily got past the gargoyle easily. Dumbledore called them in when Harry knocked on the door, but looked surprised when he saw the identity of his visitors. Harry spoke up when it seemed like his mum wouldn't.

"Professor Moody cast the imperius curse on us today. I was the only one who could throw it off."

At the shock on the headmaster's face, Lily found her voice. "They're fourteen, Albus," she said in despair, "They shouldn't know what that curse feels like, they're still children. And he cast it so _easily_. I remember how difficult it is to keep control of someone from when the Order was taught to resist it, and it was like he didn't hesitate at all to control his students."

Dumbledore's face darkened steadily as Lily spoke. "That is distressing. I will summon him immediately to discuss this. Do you wish to stay for it?"

"No, thank you, Albus."  Dumbledore nodded, and Harry bid him goodbye before leaving. 

In the corridor, Harry looked to his mum. She was still very visibly upset. "I'm okay, Mum. No one was actually hurt, and Dumbledore will do something about it now. He looked really angry, I'm sure he won't just give Moody a warning."

Lily nodded. "I just have a bad feeling."

 

The Headmaster was noticeably absent from dinner, and Harry wondered if it had anything to do with Moody. He got his answer when Professor Snape came to the common room shortly before curfew. "Mr. Potter, please accompany me to my office."

"Yes, sir," Harry said as he quickly packed away the books he had out. 

In the professor's office, Snape took a seat and gestured to Harry to do the same. There was a long silence before he spoke. "The man who has been teaching you all was not Alastor Moody. He was Bartemius Crouch Jr., the son of the Ministry official by the same name, a Death Eater who was believed to have died in prison. Crouch Jr. is twenty-eight years old." Snape's jaw tightened then. "He unfortunately escaped custody before he could be properly interrogated. Those present were so shocked when his polyjuice potion wore off that he was able to get to the floo before anyone could restrain him. However, unless Black or his solicitor object, the headmaster will be operating under the assumption that Crouch Jr. was the one to enter your name into the Goblet of Fire."

"How did Crouch get out of Azkaban?" Lily asked incredulously.

"We do not yet know. The aurors have been notified, and after viewing a pensieve memory of the meeting have opened a formal investigation to Crouch Jr.'s escape and his presence in the school. The Headmaster is also speaking with Black at this moment. Black will likely want to see you afterwards, so I will take you to the Headmaster's office when we finish speaking." 

"Is the real Moody dead?" Harry asked.

"We don't believe so. Polyjuice potion requires a sample from the person it transforms the drinker into, and those samples must be collected while the person is alive. Crouch likely intended to stay here all year, so he would have needed to keep Alastor Moody alive, and nearby, in order to keep a constant supply. It is our hope that he will appear on the map you posses."

Harry nodded and pulled the map from his pocket. Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, and Harry shrugged. "Doesn't do me much good if I leave it in my trunk," he said as he unfolded the parchment. He scanned the parchment quickly, Lily looking over his shoulder. The two spotted the dot labeled  _Alastor Moody_ at the same time. "He's in the Defense office, just in the corner. He's not moving." 

Professor Snape rose, nodding, and went to his floo. He stepped through to the Headmaster's office, and returned several minutes later. "Alastor Moody has been found, locked in his own expanded trunk. You may accompany me to the Headmaster's office to speak with Black, now."

 

Professor Snape, Harry, and Lily entered Dumbledore's office just as the man asked "You are sure I cannot persuade you to stay on, my friend?"

"No, Albus, you cannot," replied a gruff voice that Harry recognized as Moody. The man in the office looked just like the man who had taught them all year, though he was a bit thinner. 

"Very well," the headmaster replied tiredly. "Sirius, would you consider taking over his position?"

"Absolutely not, Headmaster."

"Surely you want to at least think about it?"

"Nope. If I were a professor, I wouldn't be able to train Harry for the tournament."

"I wouldn't mind," Harry said, startling Sirius.

The man pulled him into a hug. "You are my son and my first priority, Harry. You need help to survive this tournament, and I won't leave you to do it without me."

Harry grinned against his dad's chest. Moody said a gruff goodbye as Sirius fussed over Harry, and left via the floo. "Are you alright, Pup? Albus told me that impostor put you under the imperius curse today."

"Yeah, I'm fine Dad. I threw it off."

Sirius looked shocked. "Completely?" Harry nodded. "That's my boy!"

"You're not upset?"

"Oh, I was furious when Albus told me. But not with you. And beating the imperius curse at fourteen is impressive! I'm not happy that it happened, but silver linings, eh?"

Harry smiled, and Lily looked happier than she had since the defense lesson earlier. Harry and Sirius talked for several more minutes before the older man had to leave, reminding Harry of his first tournament training session on the coming Sunday. Professor Snape then escorted Harry back to the common room, and congratulated simply him on maintaining his occlumency practice. 

 

At breakfast the next day, the Headmaster announced that Professor Moody would no longer be teaching, effective immediately, for reasons that were being kept private. He didn't mention Barty Crouch Jr., though Harry knew the other school's heads would be told now that they knew who put his name in the Goblet. Defense lessons were cancelled until a replacement professor could be found.


	9. A New Professor

In the coming weeks, Harry's treatment by the rest of the school didn't improve. He spent his time when he wasn't training with Sirius or doing other lessons with his Slytherin friends and Luna.

Hermione was still receiving a cold shoulder from him for not standing up for her housemate and calling her names. Harry introduced Luna to the Slytherins, who were distant with her at first but refrained from mocking her under Harry's watchful eye. Blaise and Daphne warmed up to her when they realized she was an expert on more well-known magical creatures as well as her own, and could help them study for the class despite being a third year. Theo followed their lead with time, and Harry was satisfied that Luna was safe and happy with his group of friends. 

 

It took two weeks for the headmaster to find a replacement professor for Defense, during which Harry was especially glad to be training with Sirius. The combination of tournament history and combative spells they were studying kept him sharp. He didn't want to imagine having to take part in the tournament without his dad's help,  _and_ missing out on the most useful class for it.

When the Headmaster announced that Defense lessons would resume that day and that they would meet their professor in class, the students were intrigued. It was highly unusual for a professor not to be introduced to the school. 

When Harry walked into the Defense classroom that afternoon with his friends, he was surprised and a bit hurt to see his dad standing at the front of the classroom. Had he changed his mind about training him for the tournament? Surely he would have at least  _told_ Harry. While taking role call, however, he seemed to trip over the perfectly flat floor and Harry grinned. After taking role, Tonks returned to her usual form with a flourishing bow.

"Hello, class. I am not Sirius Black, but Professor Tonks. Today's lesson is on spotting an impostor." Harry, the only one who knew about Fake-Moody, found it a bit appropriate. "Raise your hand if you knew that I was not Sirius Black before I transformed."

Harry, Blaise, Daphne, Theo, Malfoy, and Neville all raised their hands. 

"Good, that's nearly everyone in the room who has actually met my cousin. The rest of you were at a disadvantage, of course, but as this was only for demonstration and not for marks I hope you'll forgive me. Mr. Nott, how did you know I was an impostor?"

"You didn't know who I was," he answered simply. "I've met Lord Black enough times that he wouldn't have had to ask my name."

"Excellent. Did anyone else figure me out in the same way?" Blaise, Daphne, and Neville all raised their hands again. "Mr. Malfoy, what tipped you off?"

"Your speech patterns were off. They were too formal, and your voice was too high."

"Very good. I can change my appearance at will because I'm a metamorphmagus, but that doesn't help my acting skills. Harry, when did you catch me?"

"When you tripped," Harry said with a grin. "My dad is much more graceful than you are."

Tonks blushed a bit at that. "Yes, well, the same is true for my coordination. Changing my appearance doesn't affect it." Tonks then waved her wand and a piece of chalk started writing on the board.  _How to Spot an Impostor_. "Each of the people who recognized that I wasn't who I said I was did it because of my behavior, which is one way to spot an impostor if you know the person they are impersonating well enough, but if I were a better actor or had prepared more to imitate my cousin it may not have worked. What's another way you could have worked it out?"

Parkinson raised her hand. "An identity spell?"

"Good," Tonks said as the chalk listed her answer. "Can any of you cast an identity spell?" No one raised their hand. "So, there are two different kinds of identity spells - those cast directly on the person, which are fairly complex, and those linked to a charmed object, which require some preparation. They are certainly the most reliable way of identifying an impostor if either of those options are available to you, but what if they aren't?"

Lavender Brown raised her hand next. "We could ask you a question and see if you answered correctly."

"Yes, certainly. Anyone here who has interacted with my cousin could have asked me a question that only he would know the answer to, or at the least only him and trusted others. Anything else?"

Harry raised his hand. "If the person has any unique talents, you could ask them to demonstrate them. My dad is an animagus, but you wouldn't be able to turn into his animagus form."

"Excellent, that goes hand in hand with questions. Any of these are brilliant options when the situation calls for them, but you won't know to check someone's identity if you aren't paying attention, so remember to always be aware of your surroundings. It could save your life someday."

Next the class identified ways that someone could impersonate another, including metamorphmagery, polyjuice potion, glamours, and cosmetics.

 

After class was over, Harry approached Tonks at the desk and she smiled brightly at him before knocking over an inkwell. Luckily, it was charmed not to spill. Harry had a feeling all of hers were. 

"Wotcher, Harry. How did I do?"

"Great," Harry said enthusiastically. "Why are you here, though? Why aren't you working at the MInistry?"

"Medical leave. I was injured in a raid last week, and I'm fine now but I need to get my strength back up before I can get re-certified for fieldwork with the aurors. I can't stand being at a desk all day and, frankly, none of the superiors want me doing shoddy paperwork, so they lent me to Dumbledore for the year. It's a bit longer than I'd need to be on leave, but I don't mind."

"Well, it's good to see you."

"What inspired that lesson?" Blaise asked. 

"The last professor wasn't actually Moody," Harry answered when Tonks hesitated. She gave him a look. "What? They're trustworthy, and it's not like it won't get out somehow anyway." Harry then had to explain to his friends what he knew about the Fake-Moody, somewhat surprised he hadn't already told them. It had been a busy two weeks. 

"Remind me of your name?" Tonks asked Blaise.

"I'm Harry's friend, Blaise Zabini, and my pronouns are they and them."

"It's nice to meet you, Mx. Zabini." Blaise grinned at the proper address - usually they had to explain it to people in more detail, but apparently Tonks knew what to call them. It was refreshing. "Well, you lot ought to get a move on or you'll be late. I'll see you around!"

As the group rushed to their next class, Harry smiled to himself. He couldn't wait to see how Tonks did after this.


	10. Weighing of the Wands

Harry was in potions when the little Gryffindor Collin Creevy knocked on the door.

"Yes?" said Snape curtly.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter upstairs."

Snape stared down his hooked nose at Colin, who looked incredibly nervous. Harry understood why - Professor Snape was one of the most feared and hated professors in the school, and Harry had been on the wrong end of his temper before his mum had sorted the professor out. Only Slytherins and especially talented potions students got to see the more personable side of the potions master, and Harry had seen more of it than most.

"Mr. Potter has another hour of Potions to complete," said Snape coldly. "He will come upstairs when this class is finished."

Colin blushed furiously and stammered out, "Sir- sir, Mr. Bagman wants him. All the champions have got to go, I think they want to take photographs."

Harry groaned softly and glanced around the room. Most of the Gryffindors, except Neville, were scowling at him. Ron was very pointedly staring into his cauldron, apparently refusing to admit that Harry even existed. 

"Very well. Mr. Potter, clean up your station. You will turn in a twelve inch essay on antidotes to make up today's class."

"Yes, sir," Harry said respectfully as he packed away his things. They hadn't started preparing ingredients yet, so the cleanup was relatively quick. 

 

Harry hadn't spoken to this particular student since his second year - Creevy's first - when his mum had had to tell him not to try to photograph people in the halls while they were just trying to get their education. Hero worship shined clearly in his eyes as he told Harry that he thought it was fantastic that Harry would get to compete, and he'd be supporting him. Harry stayed noncommital, biding his time until they arrived at the classroom that had been designated for whatever tournament event was happening just now.

The floor had been cleared of desks, with a short row covered in a velvet tablecloth at the side. Bagman greeted Harry enthusiastically, nattering on about the wand weighing ceremony. As soon as Bagman said the words, Harry knew what was going on and was able to relax. His training included a history of the Triwizard Tournament and each of its parts, and the wand weighing ceremony was by far the least intimidating. Harry had always kept his wand carefully maintained under the guidance of his Mum and Dad and Remus and Uncle Regulus. 

Rita Skeeter approached him while Bagman was still rambling. "I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry before we start?" she asked in a voice full of false innocence. 

"Absolutely not," Lily answered before anyone else could react. "He is underage, and his legal guardian is not here to consent to his being interviewed."

"Well, surely you could consent as his mother, Mrs. Potter,"

Lily smiled thinly. "As much as I would  _love_ to," she responded, not sounding sincere in the slightest, "I am not his legal guardian. I can't be, since I'm dead. And the Black family solicitor would see you hang if you took my permission as legal."

Skeeter humphed lightly, but moved on to speak to the champions and judges who were of age with a noticeable drop in enthusiasm. "Vile woman," Lily muttered under her breath. "Never speak to her if you can help it, baby, she turns every article into a scandal."

Harry nodded his agreement, glad that his mum had been able to intervene. He'd read plenty of Skeeter articles in the  _Daily Prophet_ over the last few years, and had no desire to be her next victim. 

Ollivander arrived, and Harry shouldn't have been surprised. Who else in Britain could be considered an expert on wands? He examined and tested each of the champions' wands - Fleur Delacour's rosewood and veela hair, Cedric Diggory's ash and unicorn hair, Krum's hornbeam and dragon heartstring, and Harry's holly and phoenix feather - and complimented each on their condition. He was nearly as fascinated by Harry's wand as he had been the day he sold it, though luckily he didn't mention that its twin belonged to Voldemort. Harry didn't want that tidbit to find its way into a Skeeter article. 

They were nearly allowed to leave before the photographs for the paper were taken, and Dumbledore was chastised by the photographer for the oversight. There were seemingly endless photos - the champions together, the champions with their headmasters, all seven together, and individual shots of each champion. Harry's individual shot included versions with and without his mum. He smiled politely through all of them - he could pose nearly as well as if he'd been raised as the Heir of the House of Black by now - and didn't show how glad he was to leave when the photographer had finally worked out how to photograph Madame Maxime with the other, much shorter subjects. 

 

Harry went to the library after dinner accompanied by his friends to work on the make-up essay from Professor Snape. He hadn't been given a due date, but Harry knew the potions master well enough to know he'd like to have it by the time he graded the potions from today's practical so that he could get it all done in one go. They hadn't been working long when Hermione approached nervously. Harry looked at her, not especially coldly but also not welcoming. 

"I've come to apologize," she said to him.

"I'm not the one you wronged," Harry replied simply. 

"She's already apologized to me last night," Luna replied, "just after standing up for me to my roommates when they took my Herbology essay. Hermione has had a lot of wrackspurts lately, but they are starting to clear up."

Harry looked over at Luna, who gazed serenely back, before returning his attention to Hermione with a little more warmth. 

"And I do owe you an apology, Harry. I shouldn't have doubted you when you spoke up for Luna. I know you're sensible, and also kind, and I should have considered that instead of staying stuck on what I believed." Harry nodded. "So, could I join you?"

"It's up to Luna," Harry replied after a moment's consideration.

"Can I speak with you in the common room, sometimes?" the blonde asked Hermione.

To her credit, Hermione looked genuinely upset that Luna felt the need to ask the question. "Of course you can, Luna. If we're going to be friends I'm not going to keep you a secret."

"It will be lovely to have a friend in Ravenclaw," Luna said with a brilliant smile. Hermione took this as permission, and sat at the table to ask to compare notes from arithmancy. Lily smiled proudly. Her son had handled the situation well, staying true both to his sense of right and wrong and to his friendship with Hermione. 

 

Harry stayed behind with Hermione and Luna after the rest of the Slytherins went back to the dungeons, wanted to catch up with his newly reconnected friend. She eagerly told him about the project she'd been working on since their fight - house elf enslavement. Harry listened with mixed interest and confusion, while Lily looked on in sympathy. Her own reaction to finding out about house elves had been similar. When Hermione finished her rant, it was Lily who responded first. Harry was glad - he didn't know what to say and was afraid of starting another row right after they'd mended the first one.

"Hermione, when Winky was freed this summer how did she react?"

"She was upset," Hermione answered in slight confusion.

"Just upset?"

"Well, no. She was distraught."

"I thought so. That is how any house elf would react to being freed. Generations of house elves serve generations of the same family, and they're proud of it. Being freed is like being fired from a job that your ancestors have been doing for generations."

"But, they can't  _like_ being slaves. They've been brainwashed!"

"Would you say that you've been brainwashed to want to do well in school and get a good job? Or that someone from Japan had been brainwashed to consider a group's well-being over their own as an individual?"

"No, but-"

"House elves have their own culture, Hermione, just like people from different countries. Part of a house elf's culture is working for families."

"Well, maybe so. But they should still be  _paid_ , and have sick leave and holidays."

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I was told once, but I hope I can do it more effectively. Your first reaction to what I say is probably going to be a bad one. Please remember that I'm not comparing intelligence, but the situation." Lily waited for Hermione to nod in agreement before continuing. "Would you offer a working dog, like a seeing eye dog or a police dog, pay and benefits?"

Hermione's eyes widened in anger before she remembered her promise. "No, I wouldn't. But house elves have human intelligence."

"Their situation is still similar. A house elf's family provides them with lodging, food, garments to wear, and protection. Most house elves would find galleons completely useless, because there's nothing they need to buy. And while they don't have official sick leave, a proper family would never force a house elf to work if they were too unwell."

Hermione turned Lily's words over in her mind for almost a full minute. Finally she asked, "How do you know that's true, though? That it isn't just what wizards want to be true because they've always had house elves?"

"Because I've talked to the elves, of course."

"I wish I was able to speak with them," Hermione complained. "It would be so much easier, but I can't  _find_ them."

Lily's tone, which had previously been understanding, turned to admonishment. "Do you mean to tell me you've begun this crusade for elves' rights without even speaking to a house elf? You can't just decide what a group you don't belong to needs without their input, Hermione."

"But-"

"How would you feel if a pureblood, who had no muggleborn friends and had only seen them in passing, decided they knew what you needed and started working towards those ideas without any input from the people they were trying to represent?"

"Frustrated," Hermione admitted after a minute. "I'd know they were trying to help, but they'd probably get it wrong."

"Exactly. It's the same thing, Hermione. Your heart is in the right place, but your goals aren't what the house elves want."

"So what do I do?" Hermione asked desperately. "I want to help the house elves, I  _know_ the way Crouch treated Winky was awful."

"First, you need to speak to some house elves and find out what they want. I'm sure Harry would be willing to call Tippy, the elf at Blackwood Hall, for you to speak to, and we can show you how to get to the kitchens where the house elves here at Hogwarts spend most of their time. Then, once you've spoken to them you need to set goals that align with what they want even if it's different from what you thought. Finally, you need to come up with a new name for your organization, because 'SPEW' is terrible."

"It's not _spew_!" Hermione replied indignantly. "It's s-p-e-w!"

"And your exams at the end of fifth year are your o-w-l exams, but everyone calls them OWLs. Acronyms are always shortened into words if they can be, so you need to come up with one that doesn't spell a distasteful word like 'spew'."

Hermione harrumphed, then asked for help brainstorming a new name. After some serious consideration from all four minds present, they came up with Elvish Rights Activists, or ERA. Hermione liked it because she'd be able to come up with slogans about ushering in a new era, and Lily was satisfied that she'd saved Hermione from a lifetime of embarrassing abbreviations. She could already tell that Hermione would fight for the rights of others in one way or another for the rest of her life, so acronyms would be an important skill for her to learn. It was getting late by this point so they agreed to help Hermione speak with the house elves and create her new goals for ERA on the weekend, and the Ravenclaws returned to their tower while Harry and Lily left for the dungeons. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Hermione's drive to fight for what's right, but she doesn't always know what she's doing. Especially as a thirteen-year-old. Some adult guidance was needed, and luckily Lily _lives_ to give adult guidance. Well, not lives. You know what I meant.


	11. The First Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've started to have a lot of ideas for later in this series - book 6, especially, and I just want to get there already! But I need to write this bit first, and that might be why I'm powering through so many chapters on this fic while neglecting my other ones. Anyway, enjoy!

Harry's training with his dad had finished going over tournament history and procedures and was focused on combat spells now. Uncle Regulus attended occasionally, and both taught Harry the Black family spells. They were powerful, and a bit Dark, and had the potential to level the playing field between Harry and the older contestants. They also had the potential to help Harry survive. No one in their family had forgotten Moody - Crouch Jr. - saying that entering Harry in the tournament was likely an attempt on his life. The words took on new meaning with the knowledge that he'd been the one to do it. Tonks' lessons in Defense Against the Dark arts continued to be brilliant, and if they were a little focused on the sort of things that Harry would need in the tournament no one could say she was helping him as long as she taught them to the whole class. Tonks may have been a Hufflepuff, but her mother was a Slytherin.

The investigation into Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape from Azkaban revealed that it had been his father, Crouch Sr. the Ministry employee and Triwizard judge, and his mother who had broken him out. His mother had died in prison wearing her son's face, and now his father was in his own cell there for breaking his son out and using the imperius curse to control him. Percy Weasley stepped into Crouch's role as a Triwizard judge and did paperwork for his former boss's office until a replacement for Crouch could be found. Crouch's trial was when the news came out about Moody being impersonated by a Death Eater, and Dumbledore was flooded with angry owls from parents for days.

 

Two weeks before the first task, the Headmaster brought Harry and Lily out to the quidditch pitch where the other officials for the tournament were waiting to test the anti-ghost ward he had found in an ancient text and erected there. It wasn't a commonly known spell - very few people in the magical world were concerned about the presence of ghosts - but records of it existed. When Harry crossed the ward, his mum disappeared from view. 

For the first time in Harry's memory he couldn't see, hear, or feel the presence of a ghost beside him. He was warmer than he was used to, and anxious without her, but when he crossed back to the other side of the ward she reappeared.

"I couldn't do anything," she said bitterly. "I was completely suppressed while Harry was inside that ward - aware of everything, but I couldn't speak or move." Lily was clearly unhappy with this, but Dumbledore and the other judges were pleased with the results. Lily Potter would be unable to assist her son unfairly in the tasks so long as this ward was erected around the playing field, and she was unharmed by it afterwards. It was everything they could have hoped for and everything Lily hoped they wouldn't find. 

 

That night Hagrid brought Harry to the Forbidden Forest under his invisibility cloak, Madame Maxime attending. The clearing they stopped at was covered in thick webs, crawling with spiders of every size.  _Every_ size, including ones Harry had hoped never to encounter. The largest one was nearly the size of an elephant, and Harry shuddered in revulsion. Lily pressed closer to Harry, able to follow her tether to him even while both were unseen, and he relished in the comfort she gave. Hagrid enthused about the acromantula, but Madame Maxime was unsurprisingly less impressed. They returned to Hagrid's hut, and the French headmistress took her leave to the Beauxbatons carriage. 

"Brings back memories," Hagrid said dreamily when Harry removed his cloak. 

"Memories of what, exactly?"

"Me old friend Aragog!" Hagrid replied, clearly oblivious to Harry's discomfort. "I raised 'im from an egg, back when I was in school. 'E lives in the forest now, I found 'im a mate after Dumbledore hired me on, an 'e's got a whole family!"

Harry blinked his eyes open from the floor, feeling disoriented, and noticed his mother looking worriedly at him while Hagrid mumbled about not being able to handle the excitement. Harry excused himself back to the castle, feeling glad he hadn't taken Care of Magical Creatures, and wrote to his dad immediately about what he'd learned about the first task.

 

After that, Harry's lessons with Sirius were refined further. Harry learned about acromantula - they could grow up to fifteen feet in legspan, lived in colonies, and were sentient and capable of human speech. They were also predators with a taste for human flesh and an incredibly poisonous bite. Their webs were incredibly strong, but could be cut through with a powerful enough spell. 

Sirius drilled Harry on cutting spells and  _arania exumai_ , the spider killing spell, but Harry didn't like his chances with the whole colony at once or even with some of its larger members. It was only three days before the task when Harry stumbled across a new piece of information on the monsters and he and his dad came up with a new plan. They practiced the voice amplifying charm and Harry spoke to an old friend. 

 

The champions were brought to a tent, high walls blocking their view of the stadium that had been built and the roar of a crowd in the stands in their ears. Harry knew his dad and Remus were out there, his Uncle Regulus and the Tonks family, all of them here to support him. Bagman told them that they each needed to retrieve an orb from among the eggs of the acromantula. Only Cedric Diggory looked surprised. The four champions walked out together into an arena where thick webs stretched between posts and eight-legged monstrosities crawled over them, pincers clicking. When the ward dropped that allowed the champions out into the arena and Lily disappeared under the weight of the anti-ghost ward, three adults ran in with their wands blazing and fourteen-year-old Harry turned his wand on himself.

The Forbidden Forest was just there, close by. Harry didn't know what he would do if it hadn't been. He'd gone down to the Chamber this morning to remind Griswalde to be at her forest hunting grounds in the afternoon, to thank her for her help, but if she couldn't hear him then he would be left without a working plan. He turned his wand on himself and cast " _sonorus_ ," and then he hissed. 

About half of the spectators shouted in fear or surprise at the sound of Parseltongue, but Harry ignored them. _"Gr_ _iswalde!"_ he called as loudly as he could,  _"Come to me, eyes closed."_

And Harry waited, then, at the very edge of the arena while the older champions fought until his old friend appeared. Whatever wards were keeping the acromantula in and away from the crowd didn't stop her approach - that had been Harry's second concern about this plan - and the great spiders shrieked as they tried to run, crowding themselves against the edge of the arena on the far side from the forest. They couldn't escape within the wards, and Griswalde hunted them mercilessly. Even with her killing glare cut off, the spiders were no match for their natural enemy the basilisk. Her hide was too thick for their bites, and she tore through them with her fangs. 

Harry and the other champions cast cutting spells through the thick, domed webs. While the basilisk kept the spiders at bay, they made their way towards the nest. Harry hit them with tripping jinxes on the approach - nothing dangerous, not now, but enough to stick them to the webs they fell into and slow them down. When Harry cut through the eggs at the center of the arena, some infant acromantula swarmed out. He took care of them easily enough with the spider killing spell, small and ill-prepared for life as they were, and the other three champions did the same when they caught up.

Fleur Delacour managed to get an orb first - she'd been throwing balls of fire from her bare hands to burn through the webs and the eggs, and the cutting spells the others cast couldn't match her efficiency. Harry was second. He didn't see if Krum or Diggory got it third, but all three champions made it out of the arena with an orb alive. Krum had been bitten and Diggory had been burned by one of the French witch's fireballs, and Madame Pomfrey rushed them both to her medical tent. Harry leaned into his mum and sobbed with relief before recasting his amplifying charm and sending Gris back to the forest.

 

Once medical issues had been tended to, the scores were announced. Five judges, each giving each champion a score out of ten. Points were being based on speed, skill, and the use of unique strategies. Harry hoped that the judges remembered how unique calling a basilisk was, rather than recoiling from it in fear.

Fleur Delacour earned forty points. She'd been the fastest to get the orb, the only champion not to use cutting spells, and she'd been a sight to see as she blazed through the spiders and the webs. Harry would watch out for her in the future tasks - the Veela, the only female champion. Harry remembered Daphne's assertion that if she were Triwizard champion no one would look down on her for being a girl and was certain Delacour was filled with the same determination.

Viktor Krum earned thirty-eight points. He'd apparently been the third one to get his orb, beating out Cedric Diggory by moments, and while his strategies hadn't been unique his skill was undeniable. Even after being bitten by one of the smaller spiders, before Griswalde had answered Harry's call, he'd pushed on without showing any pain. 

Cedric Diggory earned twenty-eight points. Harry's trip jinx had left him tangled in a web for an embarrassingly long amount of time, and he'd done relatively little besides pick up the orb at the end. Plus, he'd been injured. All in all, twenty-eight points was a bit generous. Harry felt a brief twinge of guilt for leaving Cedric in the dark when he knew the other champions would be told about the task, but he pushed it away. He was full of Slytherin ambition to win, and distrust of the Hufflepuffs that had scorned him twice, and this wasn't a complicated murder plot for Diggory. It was a game that he had chosen to play. So Harry pushed the guilt away, and it didn't come back. 

Harry got very mixed reviews. Dumbledore and Percy both gave him nines, and Bagman gave him a ten, but the two foreign Heads gave him a four and a five and twin looks of terror. He received thirty-seven points - third place, and only one point behind Krum - but he bitterly thought he'd earned more.  As his family came to give him hugs and check him over for injuries the matron may not have noticed, he pushed the bitterness away with the guilt. He'd survived, and done well, and he'd continue to do well in the second task. 

 

Ron approached Harry as he made his way back to the castle, freckles standing out on his pale face. "You could've died, mate," he said feebly.

"Yes, I could have. That was Crouch's goal." Harry's voice was hard. Ron had once been his first friend in the wizarding world, the first living person he could remember giving a damn about him, but Ron hadn't even given Harry a chance to explain. 

"Are we alright?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why would we be alright? You turned your back on me, you hurt me, and now you haven't even apologized for that."

"Mate, I'm sorry-"

"It doesn't count if you apologize now, when I've pointed out that you should. It's not sincere. And I'm not your mate, since you haven't treated me like one since my name came out of that goblet."

Ron spluttered. "But- you forgave Hermione! I know you two got into a row, and now you're her friend again. Why am I different?"

"Hermione  _apologized_ , to both me and Luna, and showed that she was changing when she stood up for Luna. You haven't given me a real apology, and you haven't given me any evidence that you won't hurt me again. So we're not alright."

Harry gave one last look to Ron Weasley and walked over to meet his friends - Blaise and Luna and Theo and Hermione and Daphne - and he pushed away the longing he felt for his first one. Bitterness, guilt, and longing had no place in his mind right now. He'd process them later, likely with help from his Mind Healer, but for now he was going to celebrate that he'd survived and had people by his side who cared and didn't abandon him, who were understanding and knew how to apologize when they were wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's always bothered me that the only female champion did so poorly in the tasks - last place in the first, failed to complete the second, and taken out by an imperiused Krum in the third - when she was obviously chosen by the Goblet for a reason and has some really unique talents. (Veela blood? Putting the dragon to sleep? I refuse to believe she doesn't know to break a Grindylow's fingers.) So Fleur is going to be more of a competitor in this story. Just because Cedric got last in this task though, doesn't mean that he'll be taking her place in being completely incompetent. Remember that he was the only champion who wasn't prepared ahead of time, since Harry didn't tell him.
> 
> Apologies to any big Ron Weasley fans - I don't hate him, but this version of Harry is slow to trust after he's been hurt. He wouldn't welcome Ron back the same way Harry did in canon.


	12. Problems

In the next weeks two problems consumed Harry - the orb and the Yule Ball.

The orb he'd gotten from the first task sat on his bedside table in the Slytherin dungeons, refusing to do anything. It was meant to be their clue for the second task, scheduled for February, but Harry couldn't see anything about it that would give him a clue. Mehen said it smelled like magic. Theo said it was probably spelled to reveal the clue under certain conditions, but no one could begin to guess what those conditions were. Harry decided to ask his dad for help during their next training session, and set that problem aside for the moment. 

 

The Yule Ball Harry had known was coming, a ball was always a part of the Triwizard Tournament and Harry had learned about it alongside the wand weighing ceremony, but he had avoided thinking about until it was officially announced. Blaise was going with their latest paramour - they were enjoying dating their way through half the school in various casual relationships and the current one was with Roger Davies of Ravenclaw. Theo and Daphne agreed to go together, just as friends. Theo had blushed as he made sure she knew that, and Harry wondered if he had a crush on her or on someone else that his father wouldn't approve of. Harry was still rubbish at reading the signs when people were interested in each other, but he'd guess the second one.

Harry's problem was that he worried about asking a girl - or anyone - to the ball and having her misunderstand what he wanted. If she wanted him to kiss her, would he be able to? He hadn't hated kissing his friends on that day in Hogsmeade last year before he'd figured out that he was asexual, but they were his friends. He was close to them, and didn't have to worry about what they'd wanted from him. Plus, at fourteen his classmates were just starting to whisper and giggle about doing  _more_ than snogging, which Harry wanted no part of. Lily assured him he could always say no, but the pressure might be there and it made Harry sweat just thinking about it. 

His friends already had dates. Harry considered asking Hermione, but she confided to him in low tones that Viktor Krum had asked her and she'd said yes. Luna would have been wonderful company, but she'd been talking about the trip her father had planned to Sweden over break to look for Crumple Horned Snorkacks for weeks, so Harry knew she wasn't available. Ginny Weasley, who Harry wasn't particularly close to but who had agreed with him that Ron was a prat, was going with Ernie Macmillian of Hufflepuff. 

Daphne was the one who had a solution for Harry. "There is someone," she said in the tone of voice she used when she was going to talk you into a situation before telling you all the details. Harry had learned to be wary of that tone over the years, but Daphne had never actually hurt him so he trusted her. "You don't know her very well, but you've met. She's a third year, too young to go on her own, and she'd love to go to the ball but she doesn't expect to be asked by anyone."

"Who is she?"

"Astoria," Daphne replied simply. "My sister. It's the perfect solution, really. Astoria doesn't have many friends, because her natural legilimency puts people off, but you've been studying occlumency long enough that she wouldn't be blasted with your every thought all night and she would still be able to pick up enough from you that she wouldn't misunderstand anything." After a pause, Daphne stated again, "And she'd _love_ to go to the ball."

Harry agreed, partially as a favor to Daphne and partially because there really weren't any better options for him, and asked Astoria in the common room that night. Astoria looked warily into his eyes, and smiled in relief when his shields held up before agreeing. 

 

A date to the ball found, Harry returned to the problem of the orb. He brought it along to his next training session and explained Theo's theory to his dad. Sirius agreed with Theo's statements about the orb, and painstakingly taught Harry the spells to reverse-engineer the orb and find out what conditions needed to be met for it to reveal its clue. It was something taught in sixth year charms, but with Lily's help Harry had always aced the class and the three of them were confident that Harry could do it. Sirius wouldn't do it _for_ him, though Harry had asked, as it felt a bit too much like cheating. Harry comforted himself with the knowledge that if he couldn't get the spells down in time, his dad would take over before he let Harry go unprepared into the task. 

Harry did get the spells, after a few weeks of practicing and studying the theory behind them, and found out the orb needed wind to activate. Harry learned  _ventus_ , the wind charm, more easily and the orb glowed brightly before revealing words on its surface. 

_Without wings, take to the sky_

_to find and save your truest ally._

_Versus creatures born to flight_

_and versus others' tested might._

_Together through thick and thin_

_you must do what it takes to win._

_Fly true, and hurry back_

_for past an hour your prospect's black._

Harry and his dad picked through the riddle. Flying was easy - Harry wasn't concerned about that part of the task, and was already much more comfortable than he had been as he prepared to face the acromantula. He'd have to rescue a friend, and return to some starting point within an hour while fighting against magical creatures and the other champions. The last line made Harry nervous, but Sirius and Lily were certain that nothing too dire would happen at the end of the time limit with allies to the champions involved and that it was only meant to give the champions a sense of urgency. 

Harry and his dad focused once again on combat spells, practicing duelling. Harry's friends got involved in the training, with Harry and an ally fighting together against any number of opponents. Once they'd mastered it on the ground, they practiced in the air while Harry got used to sharing a broom. They studied different creatures and their weaknesses, and Harry worried over who would be chosen.  _Your truest ally._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, a bit of an interlude before the ball and the second task. Writing riddles is harder than it should be - almost made me regret deciding to change the tasks.


	13. The Yule Ball

Astoria looked beautiful when she came out of the girls' dorms and met Harry in the common room. Anyone would have agreed. Her blonde hair was tied neatly into a complicated updo that would have taken hours without magic but that she probably did in minutes with a well-practiced charm, and she wore a gown of mixed seafoam green and silvery blue that paid homage to her house while bringing out the same blue in her eyes. The makeup she wore was sophisticated and not overdone, despite her being only thirteen. It was clear she'd grown up wealthy and pureblooded, but she was gentle and soft where she could have been snobbish or unkind. 

Harry wore dress robes in darker green, not quite matched to his eyes or to the common room's colors. He also didn't quite match Astoria, but they complimented each other. He took her hand in his and kissed the back of it as he'd been taught. When Uncle Regulus had tagged along to the training sessions Harry had with his dad, he had spent the last half hour dancing and reviewing proper comportment for a ball - things that he'd only been taught in passing so far. Because of this, Harry was confidently able to treat Astoria the way she expected to be treated, and Daphne looked on approvingly from where she stood with Theo before they went to the entrance hall to pick up Davies. Harry greeted Hermione on Krum's arm as the champions lined up to enter the Great Hall. She'd always had a pretty face, but she looked gorgeous in a periwinkle gown and a full bottle of Sleakeasy's hair potion.

 

Astoria was perfectly poised as they were paraded through the hall and charmed the others at their table for dinner - the champions and Triwizard judges - while being sure not to outshine Harry. This sort of thing had been taught to her for years, and Harry was glad to have her there to smooth over the small etiquette mistakes he still made. 

When the meal was finished, the champions and their partners moved to the cleared floor to open the dancing portion of the evening. Harry was exceedingly glad for Uncle Regulus' dancing lessons as he bowed over Astoria's hand and the first notes of a waltz began to play. The two moved gracefully, easily keeping up with the other couples on the floor. Harry wasn't tall enough to lift Astoria, but he was able to pull off several types of turns and she followed effortlessly. The dance was done before Harry knew it and he bowed to Astoria again while she curtsied, and the rest of the school joined them on the floor. 

There were several more ballroom dance songs before the Weird Sisters came out to play. Harry had been listening to the Wizarding Wireless Network for several summers now. The Weird Sisters weren't his favorite - that was the Hobgoblins - but it didn't need to be your favorite band for a live concert held in the room where you eat dinner and get your mail to be cool. Harry and Astoria danced with Hermione and Krum, Theo and Daphne, Blaise and Roger. Harry only briefly thought about how much fun Luna would be having, and knew she was having just as much on her trip.

Between dances, when they needed to rest, they sipped very slowly at punch that someone had spiked and talked. They talked about Quidditch - the professional league, since this year's Cup was cancelled - and about the monstrous amount of holiday homework no one had touched yet. They talked about the magnificent decorations around the castle this year - Harry hadn't been at the castle for the holidays since his first year but he would swear they were more extravagant this year than they had been - and about Professor Tonks' Defense classes. Remus had still been their best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but Tonks was a close second. Daphne politely offered to teach Hermione some charms for her hair that would make it more manageable without spending an hour working potions into it, and Hermione gladly agreed. She felt beautiful tonight - it was something she hadn't felt often enough and something she craved - but she would never be able to replicate what she'd done to her hair on a regular basis. They also talked about how Hermione had recently punched Draco Malfoy in the face. ("I'm sure he deserved it," Theo had answered blandly before Astoria went off about how he'd whinged for hours in the common room that day but refused to tell anyone why.)

When the Great Hall grew too warm, Harry offered Astoria his arm and they took a walk on the grounds to cool off. Harry blushed when they happened upon couples snogging, but Astoria didn't put any pressure on him. When they happened upon Hagrid and Madame Maxime having a heated discussion, they stopped to eavesdrop. Gossip was Slytherin currency, after all. Neither were surprised to hear that Hagrid was a half-giant, however, so it wasn't very interesting. The man was nearly ten feet tall. Harry and Astoria returned to the ball before long - it was December and it was cold outside and they welcomed the warmth that had been stifling a few minutes ago.

They continued dancing and talking with their various friends and acquaintances until the ball ended at midnight, and Harry escorted Astoria back to the dungeons as if he wasn't going there anyway. In the common room, she kissed his cheek and he asked her if she'd like to go to Hogsmeade with him on the next visit. She smiled and agreed before bidding him goodnight.

In his four poster, surrounded by green curtains, Harry hissed quietly to Mehen about it being one of the best nights of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized while writing this chapter that I'd gotten some names confused and Roger Davies is the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, and therefore probably a fair bit older than Blaise, and also was supposed to be Fleur Delacour's date. But at that point, the last chapter was already written and published and it doesn't seem important enough to me to go back and find the name that I actually meant and change it. At least it's still a Ravenclaw so the house isn't mismatched.


	14. The Second Task

Harry had spent January thrown into preparations for the Second Task, dueling and studying with his dad and his friends and agonizing over who the tournament organizers would choose as his 'closest ally'. If he had to choose - someone who wasn't an adult, or a ghost because neither of those were options the organizers would consider - he would choose Theo in a heartbeat. Theo was his best friend, the first person he'd willingly told about his awful childhood with the Dursleys and the first person he thought of when he needed someone he trusted. But Harry was also a fairly private person, and so was Theo, so would the tournament organizers see the same details he did? He practiced dueling and flying with all of his friends in turn, just in case. 

Harry had taken Astoria to Hogsmeade in January. Lily had kept her distance and her invisibility, the most privacy she was able to give the young couple. They'd gotten tea at Madame Puddifoot's, somewhat awkwardly as both found the place somewhat garish but the only other option was the Three Broomsticks and that wasn't where you went when it was a date. Astoria had kept the conversation flowing when Harry faltered and they had both nibbled on pastries as they worked their way through a pot of tea. Afterwards, they'd walked through the streets and looked in the windows of shops. Harry hadn't taken her to the Shrieking Shack. It was a place couples went, but they went there to snog, and Harry knew what it had once been to Remus.  So they didn't go there, but both enjoyed each other's company even when it was awkward. Before going back to the castle, Harry had kissed Astoria. It wasn't much different than kissing Daphne or even Theo had been, but he didn't think much of it.

Harry and Astoria spent time together in the common room, and kissed a few more times, but decided not to go to Hogsmeade in February. The trip was scheduled for Valentine's Day weekend, and this half-relationship they were in was too new and uncertain for a holiday centered around couples. Besides, the second task was less than two weeks away at that point and Harry needed to meet his dad to train. 

 

The weather the day of the second task was clear - good for flying - and Harry was glad. He'd flown in terrible weather plenty of times, but never while fighting and it often ended badly. The starting point for the second task was in the same arena where the first had been held. Several other platforms of varying sizes dotted the landscape of the Hogwarts ground, jutting up out of the Forbidden Forest and over the lake. The playing area was huge, and Harry quietly hoped that some part of it had been missed when the headmaster had applied the anti-ghost ward but knew it was wishful thinking. 

The task was announced - the champions would have to fly through the course to retrieve their ally, battling and avoiding both creatures and competitors, and make it back to the starting platform together within an hour. Everything was as Harry and his family had expected, except for one detail. They weren't flying on brooms. They were flying on carpets. 

Harry had only read about flying carpets once, nearly two years previously in one of his independent history readings. They worked the same way as a broom, he thought, controlled by mental power and subtle body movements, but even the shoddiest broom would maneuver better than a carpet. Still, perhaps it would be easier to sit two people casting spells on a carpet than a broomstick. If only Harry hadn't spent so much time preparing for that element of the task, he'd think that was a good thing. 

 

Harry sat on his knees on the flying carpet he'd been given. It looked ancient, but so did the other three. He palmed his wand and waited for the signal to go. The creatures for the task were magically bound to stay close to the platforms, but there were also wards to keep the flyers on course. Avoidance wasn't an option. When the signal to start came, four carpets rose into the air. Fleur hurled a fireball, but missed Diggory and nearly lost her balance in the process so didn't try that tactic again right away. 

Harry couldn't quite see the platform where their allies waited, but he knew his friends and knew who was missing. Daphne was waiting for him and he charged ahead as quickly as the carpet would go. All three quidditch players were frustrated by just how slow that was. Harry fired a disarming spell at Krum just before the four reached the first platform, but it was ducked. 

The first platform held a herd of thestrals, and Harry snorted. As long as you could  _see_ the skeletal horses, they didn't pose much threat. Diggory clearly couldn't, as he flew right into one and nearly unseated himself. The thestral grew agitated, chasing the Hufflepuff while he tried to outrun the invisible. Delacour hesitated when they came into her view, so clearly she could see them, but she also seemed to buy into the belief that they were a bad omen. Harry dodged them neatly and didn't see how Krum fared. 

A strong stinging hex hit Harry in the back, and he wished fervently that Daphne were with him to guard it. Still, he counted himself lucky that it hadn't been a more dangerous spell. The stinging hex was painful enough to slow him down for a moment to recover, but he kept his seat and his wand and powered on to the next platform. 

The second platform held a dementor, and Harry cursed under his breath as he strengthened his occlumency shields. He couldn't believe Dumbledore had let even one dementor near the school after the disaster last year had been. 

Delacour clearly felt more secure on her carpet now, as she threw another fireball and singed Krum while he tried to summon a patronus. Harry didn't know if he would have managed it or not, because the burn seemed to snap him out of the dementor's control long enough for him to get away. 

The third platform held a nest of doxies. One by one, Harry threw them back with the knockback jinx. He didn't want to put them down more permanently and clear the way for the people behind him, but this proved to be a mistake when they kept righting themselves midair and coming back for him. Harry couldn't dodge around them on the unwieldy carpet, and one bit his shoulder before he could break past the edge of their tether. The venom from its bite burned in his veins, and he could feel his shoulder beginning to swell, but he pressed on. There would be a cure waiting for him at the finish line, but he had to get Daphne first. 

Harry made it to the fourth platform without any more trouble from the other champions. They were likely fighting among each other still, but Harry's world had narrowed with the doxy bite and he didn't notice. The fourth platform held a hippogriff. Harry didn't take Care, but he did remember when Malfoy had been hurt last year and the story of how it happened from his friends in the class. He pulled the carpet to a stop at what he guessed was an appropriate distance, and did his best to shift into a kneeling position that would allow him to bow. His left arm was nearly useless from the pain, so he kept it close to his chest as he deferred to the beast in front of him. It bowed back, and Harry flew past unaffected. 

Harry could hear Bagman announce that a third of their time was up, and he pressed on. The edge of a cutting curse caught him in the cheek, but he didn't turn to see who cast it. He fired another disarming spell behind him and hoped for the best as he approached the fifth platform. 

The fifth platform was the last before they reached their allies - Diggory was already picking up Cho Chang as Harry approached. It housed a gargoyle. The beast flew towards him at a breakneck pace, and Harry had no idea how Diggory could have gotten past it and left it intact. Harry might have been able to evade it on his Firebolt, but on a carpet it just wasn't possible. He fired off one of the Black Family spells Uncle Regulus had taught him - a slightly Dark spell that created a vortex of wind or water. It was Dark because anything caught in the vortex was at risk of being ripped apart by the currents, though the gargoyle would certainly survive it.

It was a risky move, since Harry would need to dispel it before he could pass, but he knew the creature of stone wouldn't be deterred from him until it was completely crumbled to dust and he didn't think his blasting spells were strong enough. The vortex flung its target, which slammed into the edge of the platform and lost part of its wing. After Harry cleared the air and continued on, the gargoyle clumsily gave chase. It didn't fly as well injured, and Harry made it to the platform where Daphne waited with her wand out. 

She wordlessly climbed onto the carpet behind him, back to back, and Harry took off again just as Delacour and Krum landed simultaneously, cursing each other furiously. One must have seriously offended the other, because they didn't pay any attention to Harry as he followed the course back. There were still thirty-five minutes left, and Harry was confident he would complete the task. 

The sixth platform held what Harry was pretty sure was a harpy. He hadn't studied harpies. Harry and Daphne both fired curses at it viciously, holding it at bay while they passed by.

The casting slowed them down enough for Krum to pass them while the harpy was occupied with the more irritating prey, so Harry threw another disarming spell at the Bulgarian's back. This time his aim was true, and Krum's wand flew out of his hand and into the forest below. Harry didn't waste time feeling sorry for him as Daphne sarcastically congratulated him on finally landing a hit before suggesting he try it with something that wasn't a second year spell. Still, Krum was now unarmed for the rest of the task, the classmate at his back taking on the full weight of defending them from the creatures while Krum flew the carpet. 

Platform seven was swarming with cornish pixies, which were laughable after a harpy and a gargoyle. Harry and Daphne neatly hit them with impediment jinxes on the approach, not taking the risk of them coming back like the doxies had. 

Harry and Daphne traded several curses with Delacour and her sister between platforms seven and eight. All of them took several painful hits, but stayed well enough to keep fighting and kept hold of their wands. The fight did distract them, though, and they flew right into the swarm of billiwigs at the eighth platform. 

Daphne was stung before Harry's wind charm blasted the insects away and Harry tightly wrapped his left arm around her, gritting his teeth at the pain the movement caused. There were two more platforms, and twenty more minutes, and Harry didn't know how fast billiwig venom set in but he knew its effects. Almost immediately, Daphne became too giddy from the sting to help him cast. He only hoped the levitating part of the sting's venom held off until they landed.

The ninth platform was home to an occamy, a feathered snake, and Harry hissed to it to go after the other champions instead. Snakes instinctively listened to parselmouths, and since he wasn't denying it its quarry altogether but directing it to a new one it agreed to his request. 

Delacour, angry that he'd set the snake on her and her sister, threw fireballs at him faster than he could duck while holding onto Daphne. One burned his shoulder - the one the doxy had bitten, and Harry spared a moment to wonder at the fact that it could hurt  _more_ \- and a second set the carpet alight.

Harry couldn't reach the flames while holding onto his friend, so he let her go in favor of making sure their ride didn't burn out from underneath them. Of course, once he'd put out the flames his injured arm was so sore he couldn't wrap it around Daphne again, and _of course_ the levitating from the billiwig sting chose that moment to kick in. Harry grabbed onto Daphne with his right arm, leaving himself unable to cast but keeping his friend, his ally, from floating off the carpet. 

The last platform held a cockatrice, which reminded Harry of a small dragon. He'd studied their strengths and weaknesses. A full-grown cockatrice had deadly breath, but this one was a juvenile. It wouldn't kill them, but it would hamper them significantly if they breathed it in. A bubble-head charm would be useful. Their weak point was their head, where the scaled body gave way to feathers. 

Knowing these things, however, did nothing to help when both Harry and Daphne were defenseless. He had no choice but to try to out-fly the creature on the damaged carpet. He held his breath, clasping his right hand over Daphne's nose and mouth to the best of his abilities, and pushed the carpet as fast as it would fly. The cockatrice flew faster, but its breath didn't affect them as long as they didn't breathe it in.

Just before they reached the finishing platform, the cockatrice bowled into Daphne, who fell onto Harry. They both fell from the carpet, and Harry shot his injured arm towards its edge with a shout. The fact that he managed to hold onto both the platform and Daphne was a miracle, and touching the platform signaled their completion of the task with just two minutes to spare. Several people hoisted them up, and before Lily could even fully materialize they were whisked away to the medical tent for treatment of their various ills and wounds. Harry was delirious with pain and panic, but vaguely aware of Madame Pomfrey's irate mumbling and Daphne's helpless giggles. The coolness of his mum was the most welcome thing at the edge of his consciousness, and he let his eyes close while the mediwitch worked. 

 

Harry had been unconscious for the announcement of the results, but he came in third place with thirty-seven points. (He scoffed when he heard he'd gotten the same number of points for that train wreck as he'd gotten in the first task.) Diggory had gotten first with forty-five points, the only champion to return with his ally relatively unharmed. Krum had come in second with thirty-nine, and Delacour last with thirty-six. The overall standings going into the third task - to be announced at a later date - were Krum in first followed by Delacour, Harry, and Diggory. All of the champions were within four points of each other, making it anyone's game. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This task was a little lackluster compared to the first, I think. I mulled it over quite a bit, but in the end I decided it was the best I could do with the task I planned and not every chapter has to be a masterpiece. I wanted to keep writing what came next, and this had to be done first.


	15. Blondes Who Know Too Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another little interlude chapter, as I don't have any main plot points between the second and third tasks.

Harry's friends included a lot of blondes who knew too much. Daphne worked the hardest for her knowledge - ruthlessly collecting gossip and researching the truth behind it in any way she could. Astoria, Harry's sort-of girlfriend, was a natural legilimens in a world where most people didn't bother to learn to protect their minds. Luna's knowledge was the most mysterious. Blaise thought she might be some sort of Seer. Her mother's family had a Line Gift that was always kept hushed up, and it could easily be Seeing. Luna's mother had died while the girl was still young, so it was possible she didn't know about it. 

None of the girls used their knowledge to hurt people. Daphne ferreted out the truth in rumors, yes, but she didn't spread them like Parkinson did. She hoarded them, and used them when it would do more good than harm. When someone was hurting her friends, they became blackmail. When someone's secrets were dangerous, she pushed them in the right direction when she could or subtly informed the proper people when she couldn't. Astoria kept the thoughts she gleaned from people's heads private, except in the rare cases when her sister talked it out of her. She trusted her sister to keep the secrets that should be kept, so she was willing to share the burden with her. Astoria also avoided most people. They avoided her too, if they knew, but she avoided them because knowing their thoughts and secrets was as overwhelming and uncomfortable for her as it was for them. Luna talked openly about the things she knew - the creatures she saw that could indicate what a person was feeling - but she didn't do it cruelly. Luna was never cruel, even when people deserved it. Most people didn't believe her when she talked about what she knew anyway, so there was very little room to do harm.

If the three girls ever worked together, they could do a lot of harm or a lot of good. Knowing the rumors, the thoughts, and the feelings surrounding other people and putting the puzzle together could only be powerful. It was a good thing that the three blondes weren't interested in hurting people, never would be interested in it. 

 

Harry never wished he knew too much. He only wished he knew what was going on in his  _own_ life, his own mind. He and Astoria had been halfway dating since the Yule Ball. It was March now, three months later, and Harry had no idea what he thought about that fact. They sat together in the common room a lot. They'd gone to Hogsmeade together twice, and still kissed sometimes. Astoria never pushed, and Harry was grateful for that, but he didn't know if he wanted to keep doing what they were doing. 

 

Harry was sitting in the Astronomy tower with Luna on a Saturday. He hadn't come up here except for classes since the beginning of the year last year when he'd tried to jump, he didn't like the memory, but Luna brought him here and her blunt honesty and kindness made the place okay.

"You have a lot of wrackspurts Harry. I'd offer to make you a charm to repel them, but I've only worked one out for nargles so far."

"That's alright, Luna," Harry said with a smile. "I think I just need to work through the fuzziness in my brain."

"What are you thinking about that's fuzzy?" Luna asked simply. 

Harry hesitated. If anyone could help him sort out his feelings about Astoria, it would be Luna. She knew too much about feelings, even if she didn't know why she knew it, so he told her. "I've been thinking about Astoria, and our relationship."

"I would expect to see greskies flock to you when you thought about her," Luna replied. "Most people don't have greskies about them all the time like your mother does. She's always thinking about how much she loves you. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen greskies about when you're with Astoria."

Harry thought about that. He looked to his mum for advice next. "Be honest with yourself, baby."

Greskies meant love. Harry didn't love Astoria, but did he  _like_ her? They hadn't been dating long enough that he felt  _love_ was necessary. He thought about kissing her and holding her hand, and the lack of anything special he felt when he did it. He also thought about the girl with pretty eyes from so many years ago in primary school. Astoria was pretty, but maybe it was a different kind of pretty. He thought paintings and dresses were pretty sometimes, and Astoria's beauty felt something like that. He didn't think he should date a dress. He liked spending time with her, but it was no different from how he liked spending time with any of his other friends.

Other friends. Realizing that he thought of Astoria as a friend, like Hermione or Blaise, was the moment of clarity for him.

"The wrackspurts are fading," Luna said. "Did you figure it out?"

"Yeah, I think I did," he responded with a sigh. "Now what do I do about it?"

"Be honest with her," Lily answered.

"But what if I hurt her feelings?"

"Her feelings would be hurt more if you weren't honest, in the long run."

Harry nodded and stood up from the stone floor, offering a hand to Luna to help her up. "I need to go find Astoria," he said in farewell. Luna nodded with a serene smile, and Harry left.

 

Astoria was in the common room. She preferred to be indoors, while Harry always wanted to be as close to outside as the weather would allow. Now that he'd worked it out, Harry realized he didn't have much in common with Astoria. He approached her and asked to speak privately. 

"I think we should stop seeing each other," he told her as soon as they wouldn't be overheard. He opened his mouth, about to ramble on nervously, when Astoria smiled kindly at him. 

"I know," she said.

"You- know? Are you reading me?" The question wasn't an accusation. Harry knew if Astoria was reading him it was because he'd let his shields slip, not because she was trying to break through them. Astoria knew too much, and she didn't want to know more.

"Not your thoughts. But your feelings have always been somewhat open to me, and you haven't felt anything but friendship towards me since the ball."

"Oh. Then why have you kept going on dates with me and such, if you knew I didn't like you that way?"

"Because you hadn't figured it out for yourself, yet. I learned a long time ago that when I know something about someone that they don't know themselves, it's not a good idea to share it. And I've enjoyed our dates, even if I knew we wouldn't last. It's not as if there's anyone else I have my eye on."

"Okay. That makes sense. Friends?"

Astoria smiled. "Friends."

 

Luna had known because of her creatures or her Sight. Astoria had known because of her legilimency. Daphne, it turned out, had known because Astoria confided in her. None of Harry's other friends were surprised, though they hadn't  _known_ , because they saw the way Harry and Astoria behaved together; the way the occasional kisses were still awkward three months into their relationship. Harry had been the last one to know how he felt about Astoria, which should have put him off, but this was his life. Being confused while surrounded by observant friends and blondes who knew too much.


	16. The Third Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is it that these books always end up so much shorter after Christmas than before? 
> 
> It irks me that there's so little plot between the second and third tasks, but most of J.K.'s points were taken care of earlier in the year - Rita Skeeter is too afraid of the Black family's solicitor to stir up trouble about Harry, which means that there's no need for Hermione to work out her animagus status, and Sirius isn't a fugitive so there's no secret letters to write or worries over him being caught out, Crouch is in Azkaban so his disappearance and subsequent reappearance isn't a concern, Harry doesn't need to go into Dumbledore's pensieve for us to learn about Crouch Jr.'s trial... 
> 
> It's just? So much smoother when adults do their jobs?

The third task was announced to the champions a month in advance, while Cedric and Harry mourned the Quidditch pitch which now had hedges springing up around it. Harry wasn't surprised to find out that it was a maze. The Triwizard Tournament's tasks followed a pattern, Harry had learned from his dad. The first task usually involved a magical creature of some sort, the second took place on something other than solid ground, and the third involved reaching the Triwizard Cup through some sort of obstacle. 

The first task had been acromantula, and the second had taken place in the air. A maze was as good an obstacle as any. Harry just wished he knew what would be  _in_ the maze. Sirius added basic ward-breaking to Harry's training, as he guessed different kinds of trick wards would be included among the obstacles within the maze. Nothing complicated, nothing that would require Harry to do the years of study between where he was nearing the end of his fourth year and the things Wardmasters studied. But Harry had enough power to get through most simple, temporary wards by brute force if he learned how to recognize them and find their weak spots. That was what Sirius taught Harry between dueling practices and Black family spells. 

 

Harry was nervous as the champions lined up outside the maze. He'd taken a calming draught before coming down, but it was barely helping. If the tournament was meant to kill him, this was the last chance for that plan to work. He knew Crouch had left the school when he'd been discovered in November, but there was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.  _Make it through the maze safely_ , he reminded himself.  _Let the adults worry about everything else._ Not worrying was easier said than done, but Harry tried. 

Bagman was acting strangely, Harry thought. Every other time Harry had met the man, he'd been overly jovial and done his best to talk to Harry. Now he looked almost nervous as he explained the maze to the gathered crowd.  _Not my problem_ , Harry reminded himself. 

"The champions will enter the maze according to their standings from the first and second tasks!" Bagman announced. "First will be Viktor Krum, with 77 points! Second will be Fleur Delacour with 76 points! Third will be Harry Potter with 74 points! And last will be Cedric Diggory with 73 points! With the points so close, the Triwizard Cup and prize money could go to anyone!"

 

Once Bagman had finished speaking, a canon fired and Krum ran into the maze. A minute later, a second canon signaled for Delacour to start. Harry had to wait two more minutes for his turn, and when the canon fired he took off at a run. He'd be following the right-hand wall of the maze. It wasn't necessarily the fastest strategy, but it would keep him from getting lost. Harry had just taken his first turn when the canon fired for the last time and Harry knew Diggory was entering the maze.

The maze was dark. Harry cast a temporary sense-enhancing charm on himself that he'd learned from his dad. It was an advantage over lighting his wand because he wouldn't be left blind when he had to cast something else. The first thing Harry encountered was a large beast that looked a bit like a headless lobster. Harry figured it was probably one of the blast-ended skrewts his friends in Care had complained about all year. He cast a blasting curse at it, and had to duck when the spell ricocheted back towards him from the skrewt's hard exterior. Then, it shot fire at him. The hedges didn't burn where the fire hit them, which Harry filed away as useful information while he tried to work out another way to get past it without dying. While Harry thought, the creature reared up and Harry took the chance to use a knockback jinx on it. Its underbelly was less resistant to spells, and it fell onto its back. Harry quickly darted past before it had a chance to try to burn him alive again and continued on. 

Harry took several more turns before reaching another obstacle, and almost didn't notice the buzzing of a ward ahead. He cast the spell Sirius had taught him to reveal it, and saw that it was a modification on muggle-repelling wards. If he walked through it, he'd feel compelled to turn back as if he needed to be elsewhere. He could break it - saw its weak points - but that would leave this path clear if any of the other champions came this way. The ward wasn't particularly strong, so Harry firmed up his occlumency shields and pressed on. 

The ward didn't feel like the imperius curse, but it was the closest comparison Harry had. A voice in his mind that was  _almost_ his own told him to turn back, causing him to hesitate before reminding himself that wasn't what he wanted to do and walking forward again. This happened several times before Harry came out on the other side of the ward, but it never managed to make him turn around. 

Harry heard a scream, but ignored it. If the other champions got themselves into trouble they couldn't cause trouble for him, and he reminded himself again that this was something they signed up for on their own. 

At each fork, Harry went right. At each dead end, he doubled back and took the next rightmost path. It was a lot of doubling back, but Harry didn't run into as many obstacles as he'd anticipated so it balanced out. 

Harry faced two more wards, which he broke before crossing. One would have caused the hedge walls to close in on him, and the other would have held him imprisoned until he managed to free himself somehow. Another encounter with a skrewt (The same one? Harry had no way to know.) left Harry burned, but he overcame it more easily now that he knew to aim for its belly. This time he used a blasting curse. If it could get off its back on its own he wasn't going to let it come for him a third time. The creature wasn't dead, but it was badly injured enough that he wasn't concerned. Harry beat back a thicket of devil's snare using  _lumos solem_ , the sunlight charm, and faced a boggart. He recognized the mocking version of his dad for what it was immediately - his dad was in the stands - and cast _Riddikulus_  to vanquish it. 

A redcap, which Harry took care of with the impediment curse, and Harry was turning another corner. From the corner of his eye, he saw Cedric Diggory facing off against an acromantula.  _Let him redeem himself from the first task,_ Harry thought as he turned away. 

Finally, Harry approached a sphinx blocking the path. "You are very near your goal. The quickest way is past me."

"So, what task do I have to complete to pass?" asked Harry. 

"You must answer my riddle. Answer on your first guess - I let you pass. Answer wrongly - I attack. Remain silent - I will let you walk away from me unscathed."

"Let's hear it," Harry replied confidently. He hadn't been taking the quickest route so far, he wasn't about to go looking for another path now when he knew he was close. 

"The poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it you'll die. What is it?"

Harry thought through the riddle, careful not to speak aloud in case the sphinx took that as an answer. He only had one shot at this.  _What do the poor have? Not much,_ he thought to himself.  _The Weasleys are poor, but they have family. Not every poor person has that, though. Something the poor always have - trouble?_

_The rich need it. If you're rich, you have everything you need, or you can get it easily enough. The rich don't need anything._

_If you eat it you'll die - poison? But the poor have it, and the rich need it. The rich don't need poison unless they're looking to kill someone. The rich don't_ need  _anything._

The answer hit him all at once. "Nothing. The answer is nothing."

The sphinx smiled at Harry and moved to the side, allowing him to pass. Harry took the right-hand path ahead, and burst into a clearing where he found the Triwizard Cup. Diggory entered the clearing at the same time, pursued by the acromantula he'd been fighting. Harry swore under his breath before pointing his wand at the spider and shouting, " _Arania Exumai!_ "

The spider was larger than Harry felt he could confidently kill, but he put as much power behind the spell as he could muster and managed to throw it back wounded. Then, he ran for the Cup. Even if the spider wasn't dead, Diggory should be able to deal with it now and Harry would win and all of this would be over.

 

The moment Harry wrapped his fingers around the cup's handle, he felt the familiar sensation of a portkey take hold. 


	17. The Graveyard

Harry landed hard, barely keeping his feet, in a graveyard that was empty aside from him and two tall figures in hooded black robes, one of which was holding a swaddled bundle. Harry knew immediately that this was not a part of the tournament when his mum materialized next to him. 

"Our guest of honor has arrived," said a high, cold voice that Harry recognized vaguely. He couldn't quite place it, and before he had time to think further on the identity of its owner he was being manhandled over to a gravestone. Harry fought against the man, but wasn't strong enough to break his grip. In moments, he was bound to the headstone with a silent  _incarcerous_. Harry looked to his side, unable to move anything but his head, and saw that the grave read TOM RIDDLE. That didn't bode well. Another silent spell was cast, which Harry quickly realized was a  _silencio_ when he tried to shout, and the man who had tied him up walked away without a word. 

Lily shouted and screamed, but the men ignored her. They would have silenced her if they could, but their spells would only pass through her ghostly form. No one responded to her cries, either because they were too far away or because the graveyard had been warded to prevent it. 

The man removed a shrunken cauldron from his pocket and enlarged it. It was easily the largest cauldron Harry had ever laid eyes on, and having spent a summer living with a Potions Master that was saying something. A fully-grown adult could have sat down inside it. The two men lowered their hoods while they worked. Harry recognized the silvery-blonde hair of Lucius Malfoy, but the second man was unknown to him. Harry was willing to bet it was Crouch Jr. There was some resemblance to his father, from the times Harry had seen the man at Hogwarts before he was arrested.

"Lucius will perform the ritual," the cold voice said again. It was coming from the bundle, and Harry suddenly realized that he recognized the voice from the nightmare he'd had over the summer. The nightmare of Malfoy tending to Voldemort, given to him by the re-done protection ritual. 

Malfoy passed the bundle to Crouch, and filled the cauldron with water before lighting a flame beneath it. He worked quickly, and soon the surface of the cauldron was sparking brightly. "It is ready, Master," Malfoy said in his smooth voice. Crouch unwrapped the bundle, revealing a very tiny almost human-looking thing. It was only almost human-looking because it had the size shape of a very thin baby, but its skin was red and warped as though it had been terribly burned and its face was snake-like with red eyes. It was the same face that had been on the back of Quirrell's head in Harry's first year. Malfoy lowered the naked thing into the sparking cauldron, and Harry wished fervently for it to drown. 

"Bone of the father, unwillingly given," Malfoy intoned as he brandished his wand, "You will renew your son!"

The ground beneath Harry cracked, and bone dust rose up and drifted into the cauldron. Harry wondered absently at how large the ritual circle must be that he couldn't see it, and then about the large snake he saw slither around the cauldron. He wondered about anything he could think of, avoiding the panic that threatened in his mind. He had no idea how he'd get out of this situation, but panicking wouldn't help if he got the opportunity.

"Flesh of the servant, willingly given," Malfoy intoned again as he withdrew a dagger from his robes, "You will revive your master!"

He steeled himself for only a moment before driving the dagger through his arm. Harry watched in open horror. The dagger must have been enchanted, because it easily cut off Malfoy's entire hand, which splashed into the cauldron. 

"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken," Malfoy said turning to Harry, "You will resurrect your foe!"

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, unable to watch as Malfoy dug the same dagger that had cut off his own hand into Harry's forearm. Lily cried out in despair, and Harry felt the chill of her moving around in a frantic pattern. He guessed accurately that she was trying to distract Malfoy from his task, to interrupt this awful ritual, but it didn't work. Malfoy collected a vial of Harry's blood and poured it into the cauldron. 

Harry opened his eyes, aware that he needed to watch for a chance to escape. The cauldron sparked brighter and brighter until it was all Harry could see, and then went dark. Harry had no hope that the ritual had failed - Malfoy had been able to do everything he set out to do. In moments, a very tall and skeletally thin man rose from inside the cauldron.

"Robe me," Voldemort said in the same high voice. Crouch Jr. approached him with a set of robes and draped them over the man's figure before handing him a wand so sinister looking it would have been comical in a less threatening situation.

 

Voldemort took a few moments to relish in having his own body, feeling the solidity of his chest and the features of his noseless face. He grinned, and it chilled Harry's blood. Lily had given up on screaming for help, and sobbed brokenly. 

"Lily Potter," Voldemort said once he'd finished surveying his features. "We meet again." Lily only sobbed. "And young Harry. Your mother won't be able to stop me killing you this time."

He began to pace in front of the gravestone Harry was bound to. "You saw what I was reduced to. Ten years I spent possessing snakes in the wilderness, until I met Quirrell on sabbatical in Albania. He was willing to help me, he wanted the power I promised, and together with him I infiltrated Hogwarts to obtain the sorcerer's stone that was hidden there. Its power would have restored me, but I was foiled by you," he said sharply to Lily. "When you saw my face, I knew I had to escape. The chances you recognized me were far too high."

"So Quirrell and I left, and began planning another way to restore me to my former glory. Quirrell's body was fading, however. He drank the blood of unicorns in the forest, but it could only sustain him for so long. Quirrell's last act was to create the homunculus you saw for me to inhabit and deliver it to Lucius Malfoy last spring. When Barty broke free from his father's imprisonment and sought us out this summer, I instructed him to infiltrate Hogwarts and enter you into the Triwizard Tournament so that we could bring you here.

"I was most displeased when Barty was discovered. He was meant to ensure you won, you see. It wouldn't do to have another one of the champions arrive to my big event. But you did well enough on your own. Placing Ludo Bagman under the imperius curse and forcing him to create the necessary portkey was child's play for my faithful servants. And now, here we are.

"Barty, your arm." 

"Yes, Master," Crouch Jr. said rapturously as he slid back his sleeve. On his forearm stood a black image of a skull with a snake in its mouth that Harry recognized from the  _Daily Prophet._ The Dark Mark. 

Voldemort pressed his fingers to the mark, and both other men hissed in pain. "We shall see who is faithful, who heeds my call."

 _Not good,_ Harry thought.

 

In moments, he heard several cracks of apparation. Robed figures came into existence in an arc around where Voldemort, Malfoy, and Crouch stood. All of them were hooded and masked and cautiously fell to their knees, whispering "Master," and "My Lord," over and over. There were gaps in the arc, though Voldemort began speaking as if he didn't expect them to be filled. 

"Welcome, Death Eaters," said Voldemort quietly. "Thirteen years... thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday. We are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?" Harry's ears began to ring as his breathing sped up, drowning out Voldemort's speech. Harry could only watch as he tortured one of his followers who had thrown themselves at his feet and created a gleaming silver hand for Lucius Malfoy to replace the one he had cut off. Voldemort spoke seemingly endlessly, his followers hanging on every word. 

Harry's silent panic attack was interrupted by searing pain, more pain than Harry had ever felt. The silencing spell Crouch had cast broke under his agonized screams and he writhed within his bonds. Lily wailed, too, helpless to stop the cruciatus curse being cast on her son.

When the curse was lifted, Harry panted for breath. Voldemort instructed Crouch to untie him so that he could demonstrate his superiority over his destined enemy. 

"You have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter?" Voldemort asked. Harry briefly remembered the disastrous dueling club in his second year. He'd practiced dueling endlessly this year with his dad, but that was really when he'd been taught how. "First, we bow."

Voldemort bent slightly at the waist, then clucked his tongue as if he were a mother scolding her child when Harry only stared back. "We must observe the niceties, Harry Potter. It is only polite, after all. Bow to your death."

Harry didn't speak, didn't trust his voice not to shake, but he also refused to bow to the man who had killed his parents. 

"I said  _bow_ ," Voldemort said more harshly, brandishing his wand. Harry felt the imperius curse take hold, but rejected its command almost instinctively. He'd had practice, after all, and nearly two years of occlumency study. Voldemort looked reluctantly impressed, and cast the first spell. 

Harry dodged. Knowing Voldemort's love of the Unforgivable Curses, he wouldn't try to shield in this duel. His muscles protested the rapid movement, sore from the cruciatus curse, but he ignored the pain. If he had any hope of survival, he couldn't afford to be slow. 

 

They dueled furiously. Harry had been learning curses from his dad and Uncle Regulus all year that he'd been hesitant to use in the tournament - they were too aggressive, he'd saved them for a situation where he was under attack and survival seemed unlikely. That situation hadn't come in the tournament, but it was here now and Harry wouldn't hold back. Voldemort dodged and shielded Harry's curses easily. Harry dodged just as well, though with slightly more effort. He had a seeker's reflexes, and it served him well now.

Harry was tiring, though. He'd fought his way through the maze, had a panic attack, been put under the cruciatus, and now he was practically dancing away from Voldemort's spells. Harry fired the disarming spell, saving his power. If he could disarm Voldemort, there would be a chance for escape. At the same moment, Voldemort fired the killing curse. The red and green bolts of light met in the air, and something Harry had never seen or read about in any book happened. 

Their wands connected, the light between them bleeding gold as they vibrated. Their feet lifted from the ground and a dome of light formed over the two duelists. "Do nothing unless I command you!" Voldemort shrieked to the confused Death Eaters outside the dome. Beads of light formed on the golden connection between the wands and started moving towards Harry. Instinctively, Harry pushed them back with the force of his will.

The beads stopped and reversed direction. Harry and Voldemort both struggled, desperate not to allow those beads to touch their wand. Harry didn't know how he won that battle of wills - his desperation to survive, most likely. As soon as a bead touched Voldemort's wand, wisps began to emerge from it. Body parts with horrific injuries and screams of pain. When the ghostly hand that Voldemort had constructed for Malfoy emerged, Harry realized these were the spells his wand had cast. Another scream of pain and then - 

The wand hadn't been used in the thirteen years since Voldemort had attacked the Potters at Godric's Hollow. Watching the ghostly form of his mum emerge from Voldemort's wand and look at him with glittering eyes while her ghost stood beside him was surreal. The next form was his father, and his breath caught in his throat. He'd seen pictures, of course, but this- this afterimage of his father was looking directly at him in a way a photograph never could. He looked proud. 

Voldemort looked more shocked than he already as the afterimage spoke. "I'm so proud of you, son." His father's voice was distant and echoing, nothing like the voice of his mum's ghost. The afterimage of Lily Potter held her husband's hand, and her expression of love was as familiar as his own face in the mirror. His mum, the ghost, the real her, whimpered beside Harry. "When you break the connection, we'll be able to stay for just a few moments and hold him back. Get to the portkey, it'll take you back to the school."

Harry nodded, an expression of awe on his face. He took just one more moment to drink in the love and pride his father showed him before wrenching his wand upwards as hard as he could to break the golden thread. The afterimages of his parents swarmed Voldemort, and Harry ran for the Cup.

 

He prayed that his father had been right, that this was a two-way portkey. It didn't make much sense for it to be, unless Voldemort had planned to send someone to the school after killing him, but it was his only chance for escape. He didn't have another portkey, and he couldn't apparate. 

If it didn't work, he'd have to run for the nearby town and hope for the best. Harry wrapped his fingers around the cup's handle, just as he'd done in the maze, and nearly sobbed from relief when he felt it hook behind his bellybutton. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voldemort's speech to his followers is taken directly from GoF, with minor edits.


	18. Return Revealed

Harry couldn't keep his feet when he landed back on the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts, too exhausted by the events of the graveyard. A crowd converged on Harry and Lily, his loved ones pushing their way to the front. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and all his friends, even the usually impassive Luna elbowed through the crowd. Dumbledore was there too. "He's back," Harry whispered. He didn't shout it, he thought it was best to spread this information the right way. "Voldemort's back."

Sirius paled, and pulled Harry into his arms. "We're taking him to the hospital wing. Now." His tone left no room for argument, and if anyone was willing to try Lily would verbally tear them to pieces. The crowd barely parted as Sirius led the way into the school, everyone questioning what had happened. Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, joined the procession. 

"What has happened, Albus?" he asked urgently. 

"We will find out, Cornelius, once Mr. Potter has been seen to by Madame Pomfrey. It is clear he's gone through an ordeal tonight."

Harry was settled onto a bed in the hospital wing, and Madame Pomfrey was on him instantly casting diagnostics. "A wound from a cursed dagger, at least a minute under the cruciatus curse, burns, and magical exhaustion," she reported as she bustled to her potions cabinet. She gave him two vials, and he drank them while she applied burn paste to the burns the blast-ended skrewt had given him in the maze. His mind cleared a bit, and he looked at the labels on the vials. Pepperup and a calming draught. "Nothing to do for the cruciatus but rest," she said once she'd applied the paste. 

Harry looked at the crowd in the hospital wing, surprised Madame Pomfrey hadn't chased them out. She typically didn't hold to people bothering her patients. No one was bothering him, though. Their presence comforted him. Remus, his Dad, Theo, Blaise, Daphne, Hermione, Luna, Tonks, and Uncle Regulus. Dumbledore, Snape, and the Minister for Magic were all there too. 

"Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "I need you to tell us what happened after the portkey took you away."

"Can't it wait until morning? Or Lily could tell us? Harry looks exhausted," Sirius protested.

"It's fine," Harry assured him. He shifted himself into a seated position, wincing at the lingering ache.  "It took me to a graveyard. Lucius Malfoy and Crouch Jr. were there, with a little bundle." Harry told them everything. He told them about the homunculus, the ritual (suggesting they look at the memory in a pensieve if they wanted the details, as his mind was a bit fuzzy), Voldemort standing up from the cauldron and telling them about Quirrell and Malfoy, calling the Death Eaters (Harry didn't bother listing names. He knew they'd already been tried and declared innocent.), and dueling Voldemort. He told them about the strange occurrence between his and Voldemort's wands, which Dumbledore called the Priori Incantatem effect, and about the afterimages of his parents that had distracted Voldemort so he could get to the cup and get back. Lily filled in details where Harry forgot them until the whole story was told.

Sirius looked incandescent with rage. Fudge was nearly as white as his mum. "It can't be true," Fudge said. "You're lying, you have to be lying. It can't be true."

"My son is not lying," Lily said in a hard voice. "He nearly died tonight, barely made it back here, and he is telling you the  _truth_."

"Then he's delusional. Injured, doesn't know what he's saying."

"I was there too, Fudge. I know what I saw."

"He can't be back. I refuse to believe it." 

"My son was kidnapped from the school tonight, whether you believe what he says or not," Sirius said. "If you don't investigate, you'll see the full power of the Black family coming down on you for negligence."

Regulus showed Fudge the renewed Dark Mark as proof. Dumbledore pulled him aside to speak to him, while Harry's friends and family gathered around him in support.  They spoke heatedly for several minutes before Fudge swept angrily out of the room. Dumbledore came back, shaking his head. 

"He will not believe it until he is forced to," Dumbledore said sadly. "He will investigate the cup being turned into a portkey, but it will be up to us to resist Voldemort and his followers until he is convinced. Sirius, I need you to alert the old crowd-"

"No," Sirius said forcefully. "My son has been through hell tonight, he needs me."

"Sirius, it is important that we mobilize as quickly as possible."

Sirius was ready to refuse again, but Harry spoke first. "It's okay, Dad. Dumbledore is right, this is important."

"Are you sure, pup?" Sirius looked at Harry, eyes full of concern.

"Yeah. You'll be back, right? And I've got Mum. It'll be just like old times." The joke referencing his pre-Hogwarts years seemed to be what convinced Sirius, who nodded reluctantly and left the hospital wing followed by Dumbledore and Remus, deep in conversation about the next steps. Tonks urged Regulus to go home - he was in danger now that Voldemort was back and everyone knew he had been a spy during the first war. He left via the hospital wing's floo. Tonks herself and Professor Snape bid Harry goodnight before returning to their quarters. 

"The rest of you can have ten minutes," Madame Pomfrey said firmly, "And then you are to return to your dormitories so that everyone gets some sleep."

Harry's friends agreed, and settled on the next bed over for their allotted time. They didn't speak much, but Harry was still glad to have them there. When the ten minutes were up, Theo lingered. "My father was there," he whispered. It wasn't a question. 

"Yeah," Harry replied anyways. 

"I'm afraid to go home," Theo admitted. 

"We'll work something out," Lily promised him firmly. She had all but adopted Theo when she'd heard about the abuse he suffered at home, and she knew Sirius would be sympathetic to the boy as well. Theo nodded, then left before Madame Pomfrey could chase him out.

Harry was given a dose of Dreamless Sleep potion for the night, and Lily sang him a lullaby as he drifted off just like old times.


	19. A Temporary Resolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor trigger warning for this chapter in the end notes.

Harry woke the next morning to find Blaise sitting on the next bed over. 

"I came for my morning potions," they said. "Thought I'd wait to see how you're doing."

"I'm alright," Harry said unconvincingly. Madame Pomfrey came in with a breakfast tray and Harry's own morning potions then. He took them, glad he was finally off the awful-tasting nutrient potion he'd taken for two years, and picked at his food. 

"It's almost lunch," Blaise said. "Dumbledore addressed the school at breakfast, and told everyone that he's back."

"How'd it go?"

"People are scared. They don't know what to believe." Blaise scoffed. "As if you'd tell a lie like that. If you were going to lie, it wouldn't sound so unbelievable."

Harry grinned slightly, then. "How's Theo?"

"I don't think he slept last night, but he's holding it together." Harry nodded, but didn't respond. "Bagman killed himself," Blaise told him then. Harry blinked in surprise. "It was in the morning paper. He left a note, saying that he felt so guilty he'd contributed to your kidnapping that he couldn't stand it."

Harry didn't know how to respond to that. Sirius came into the hospital wing while Harry and Blaise sat quietly, and Blaise excused themself to allow Harry time with his dad.

 

Harry left the hospital wing later that day, and was almost immediately approached by Cedric Diggory. "I was angry when you grabbed the cup first," Diggory said. "But knowing where it brought you, I imagine I'm lucky you did."

"Yeah," Harry said halfheartedly. 

"I'm glad you made it back. And I believe you and Dumbledore about what happened." He hesitated. "I don't want to, but I do. I want to help fight him."

"You're graduating, aren't you?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. I'm taking my NEWTs this summer, since I was excused from end-of-year exams for the tournament, but this was my seventh year."

"I hate the idea of people going into war right out of school, but I would be a hypocrite if I tried to stop you. Speak to Dumbledore. He can help you find a way to get involved."

Cedric smiled grimly at the ghost. "Thanks, I will."

Lily looked sad as they watched him go.

 

The other Triwizard Champions approached Harry to congratulate him on his win as well, if a bit more begrudgingly. Harry took the congratulations as his due - despite what had happened in the graveyard he had won that tournament on his own merit. It was something to be proud of. Fleur Delacour told him she was looking for a job in England. Viktor Krum invited Hermione to visit him in Bulgaria.

 

Harry was wandering the corridors to avoid the common room - which had suddenly become quite hostile - when he happened upon the Weasley twins tucked into an alcove, whispering furiously.

"Shame Bagman died, now we'll never get our money out of him," Harry heard one say.

He approached the alcove as quietly as he could, "Bagman owed you money?"

Both twins jumped and whirled around to face Harry. "Well, if it isn't-"

"-our sweet sister's favorite sneaky snake!" 

"Your sister's a snake too," Harry pointed out good-naturedly. "How much did Bagman owe you?"

"Almost a thousand galleons," the left twin moaned.

"We bet him at the cup that Krum would catch the snitch for an Irish win, but he paid us in leprechaun gold."

"What were you going to do with the money?"

"Fund our business, of course. A joke shop."

"Seems even more important now, people will need a laugh."

Harry nodded. He could use a laugh. He'd been putting on a brave face around the school, but inside things were bleak. He thought of his Triwizard winnings. "What would you say to a potential investor?"

The twins grinned, and accompanied Harry to the library to work out an investment contract. Harry wanted proper returns on his investment, but he'd seen the mayhem the Weasley twins created around the school. A joke shop run by the two of them had real potential. Lily shook her head as she watched her son negotiate and manipulate his way through the contract, but inside she was glad. This was the most alive she'd seen him since the graveyard. She could always see through his masks, and finally this wasn't one.

 

The night before the train left, Harry caught Theo's eye in the dorm room and nodded towards his bed. They pulled the curtains around themselves to engage the privacy charms, like they'd done regularly before learning how to cast them. Now it was just easier sometimes. 

Harry took a pendant from his pocket. "Dad gave me permission to give this to you. I told him you were worried about going home; he understands. You know he ran away when he was sixteen? He made it, it's a permanant portkey to Blackwood Hall."

Theo took the pendant and immediately putting it on, some tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he did. "Thanks, Harry."

"It's no trouble," Harry said sincerely. "The activation word is 'elvendork', because Dad thinks he's funny. At least you won't say it by accident. Use it if things get too bad, this summer or ever."

Theo nodded, and they opened the curtains and finished dressing for bed.

 

The train ride home was spent discussing next steps. Though he'd trusted his friends for years, Harry finally found out in explicit terms where their families lay when it came to Voldemort. Theo's father Harry had already known was a Death Eater, since Theo had told him in their first year. Blaise revealed that their mother hated Death Eaters with a passion ever since a group of them killed their grandparents. The Greengrass family had always been neutral in politics and wars - it was a difficult and careful policy they'd followed for more than a hundred years - but Daphne's friendship with Harry might push them towards fighting against Voldemort. Her parents would do anything for their daughters, and if they thought their girls were in danger in a world where Voldemort won they wouldn't let it happen. Their support might be quiet, though. Harry could understand that. Luna was from a Light family and Hermione was muggle-born, so there was no questions to ask them.

The group was discussing what Dumbledore might do to convince the Minister when Malfoy showed up with Crabbe and Goyle to gloat and got soundly hexed. It felt good, even though Harry had been on better terms with Malfoy since they both joined the quidditch team. He was still frequently a prat, and it had been his father that had resurrected Voldemort. Lily showed no disapproval, but some interest in the interactions between the various hexes he'd been hit with. She did insist that someone informed a prefect so that the damage could be reversed.

 

When Harry met his dad and Remus at King's Cross, he sagged with relief in Sirius' arms. He was looking forward to a nice, quiet summer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mention of the off-screen suicide of a minor character


End file.
